Exchange Program
by TheDarkDancerWithTheDawnRose
Summary: Ianto & Jack are 17-18 and undertaking an exchange program in Australia. JANTO is the main focus but other characters are constant. Extra characters from Bones included. Warnings for violence and mentioned abuse.
1. Arriving in Australia

Hi everybody I'm back did you miss me??? This is a story I started writing a while back while I was finishing Fallen Angel (and while I was supposed to be studying for exams, you didn't hear that). It's a school aged story crossing over Torchwood and Bones and adding a few extra characters. I know crossovers can be a little wierd but since my characters aren't out working in their jobs like they are on the shows I don't think it will be too odd.

**Janto is the main theme in this story** the other characters are constant but a little more in the background. Also I will warn you now Gwen is one of the bad guys in this story so if that bothers you don't read. Also this takes place in my home country so if there are things mentioned that you haven't heard of that's why. If you get confused at all send me a message and I'll explain.

That's all I think. Please review!!!!!!!!!!!!! I really want to know what you think.

Thanks for reading

Kayla

**Exchange Program**

The day Ianto Jones got accepted into the exchange program was possibly one of the happiest days of his life. He'd wanted to go to Australia for years and at last he was going to get his chance. His parents had been about as thrilled as they'd ever been with something he'd accomplished and his friends had been completely overjoyed for him too.

Someone was not so thrilled about him going away; Justin. When he'd received the news about his acceptance Justin had been away at university and had already planned to go away with friends for the holidays; meaning there would only be a small window of time where they would both be in the same area at the same time. Ianto had managed to convince his parents that he should spend that week with his grandparents seeing as it would be quite a while before he would see them again. Truth be told he hated his grandparents but it was a good excuse to avoid seeing Justin.

Everything had gone smoothly after that. Justin had gone away on his holidays and Ianto had come back home to prepare everything for his trip. The night before he left his parents had surprised him with a massive going away party. They'd invited his friends, his family and basically everybody he'd ever known. It was an unforgettable night for him in a lot of different ways and unfortunately not all of them good.

Ianto had been outside waving goodbye to his last few guests when Justin had shown up unexpectedly. There was no way to escape, nobody to hide behind, Justin had dragged him to the shed at the back end of his parents property where nobody could hear them and Ianto spent the rest of his last night at home in agony.

--

The day Jack was accepted into the exchange program was just as thrilling for him as it had been for Ianto. His parents however, were on the other side of the world dealing with his father's business and when he called to tell them about it, they were too busy to do more than say 'yes, Jack.'

Jack didn't care all that much though, at least that's what he kept telling himself anyway. They'd always been like that and personally he was thrilled to be getting away from them and their snooty, stuck up, self absorbed natures. They weren't nice people, the only reason they cared for him at all was because he was their heir and he knew it. As long as they had someone to hand the business over to when they were too old to run it, they didn't care about anything else, and they'd never been any different.

He organised all his things with the help of his nanny, threw himself the biggest going away party in history and spent his last night at home in bed with Katrina, Kelly and Kevin; just because he was in a K mood that night and they were his three favourite bed mates.

That night as he slept, he had the same dream he'd been having since he first got the letter informing him of his acceptance into the exchange program; about a gorgeous young man with dark hair, lovely blue eyes and a beautiful accent, smiling warmly at Jack and telling him that he loved him. Jack had never heard those words from anyone before. His parents had definitely never said them and his lovers were just that, lovers. They slept with him and that was all, there were no feelings there, just a mutual desire for sexual gratification.

He'd never really wanted anything else, but there was something about the beautiful man in his dreams that made Jack want to be with him, to love him. He didn't know what it meant but he was a firm believer in fate, and these dreams had started just after he got that letter so they must mean something. Jack hoped they did anyway. Deep down, he really wanted to know what it felt like to love someone and to have them truly love him back. Maybe in Australia he'd find out.

----

It was early in the morning when Ianto arrived at the airport to catch his flight. Even though the sun wasn't even up yet, the airport was buzzing with activity. This would be Ianto's first international flight and he was more than a little nervous. Couple that with all the pain he was in after last night and it didn't make for a great mixture. Still, he was finally going to Australia and nothing was going to dampen his spirits about this trip, nothing at all.

Years of practice had taught him how to act like everything was perfectly normal; even when the bruises were darker than the navy blue shirt he was wearing and his insides felt like they'd been sliced open by a razor. He was very thankful for that at the moment since Justin had been particularly brutal with him last night and even walking was a challenge. It helped that the other boy was smart enough never to hurt him somewhere that he couldn't hide from his parents, even in his angriest of moods.

Ianto was the perfect picture of a normal, excited, teenage boy on the outside, which was good because if he looked like there might be even the slightest thing wrong with him his stepmother wouldn't let him get on the plane.

Finally they arrived at the gates and he turned to bid his parents goodbye. They both hugged him tightly and it took everything in him not to cry out in pain. They let him go and he waved one last time before heading down the air bridge.

He took his seat in the plane and moved around trying to get comfortable thankful his flight was so early in the morning – Justin was never up at this time.

Twenty five hours later the plane touched down in Brisbane. Ianto made his way over to collect his luggage and then headed to the rendezvous area according to the information package directions. After speaking to the middle aged man who appeared to be in charge and confirming he was in the right place, he made his way over to a group of chairs where a few other exchange students were seated. Ianto scanned quickly over the group before he took a seat in a section that nobody had occupied yet.

There were two young Asian girls sitting together, one had her head in a book, the other appeared to be drawing on a notepad in her hands. Two Asian boys sitting just a few chairs away from them, were whispering to each other and openly ogling the girls.

Another girl a few seats further over with pale skin and blonde hair appeared to be texting someone on her phone. A young boy of Indian descent sat one chair away, eyeing her just as obviously as the two Asian boys were doing with the two young Asian girls.

Sitting in a chair opposite the others was a young boy with pale skin and dark hair, talking on his phone in what Ianto thought was possibly Russian, while a young girl with pale skin and dark hair sat silently beside him filing her nails.

Ianto sat down and pulled out his phone to text his stepmother and tell her that he had arrived safely. She responded almost immediately, telling him that she was glad he had gotten there okay before adding that Justin had called looking for him a few hours after the flight had left and had been rather upset about not being able to see him off. Yeah, Ianto would bet he was.

He smiled as he thought about the fact that Justin was now miles and miles away, and it didn't matter how mad he was anymore, Ianto didn't have to care – what a happy thought.

Several loud voices drew Ianto's attention to some new arrivals and as soon as his eyes fell on them he groaned quietly in annoyance. He recognised this group from the flight over. They were the rest of the students from the UK and they'd been loud and annoying the entire flight. He'd been extraordinarily pleased to be getting off the plane and away from them, but now it seemed he was going to be stuck with them for a whole year. Oh joy!

They sat down next to the Indian boy and the blonde girl, both of whom looked none too thrilled with the volume of their new company. Ianto felt sorry for them, but was immensely glad the loudmouths weren't sitting with him.

Slowly more and more people started to trickle in; students from France, Germany, Switzerland, Egypt, Italy, Greece and Spain just to name a few. The only group they were waiting on now was the party from America and Canada.

Ianto was reading the orientation booklet they'd all been sent when a quiet voice drew his attention.

"Excuse me."

He looked up to find the young blonde girl looking down at him along with the two Asian girls and the two students he assumed were from Russia standing behind her.

"Can I help you?" he asked politely.

"We know you're reading and we're sorry to interrupt but may we sit over here with you? It's a little loud for our liking over there." She had a lovely accent and Ianto was trying to place it as he politely invited them all to join him.

The group gave him an appreciative smile and sat down in the vacant seats around him.

"I'm Katie," the lovely quiet blonde introduced herself. "I'm from Finland." She held out her hand to shake.

Ah, that's where the accent was from. "Ianto Jones," he replied and shook her hand. "From Wales."

"It's nice to meet you," she said with a friendly smile.

"It's lovely to make your acquaintance also," he replied returning her smile.

"I'm Angela Montenegro," the taller of the two Asian girls said introducing herself. "And this is Toshiko Sato. I'm from China she's from Japan."

Ianto shook Angela's hand first, surprised at the way she was doing all the talking for the pair. As he looked at Toshiko properly however, he suddenly understood perfectly. She shook his hand but she barely looked up at him. Probably shy he thought to himself.

"I'm Elena Harper and this is my brother Owen." The Russian girl introduced the pair and Ianto shook their hands also.

"It's really nice to meet you all, I'm glad I'm not the only one that likes a bit of peace and quiet," Ianto said with a pointed look at the rest of the group, most of who were conversing together, very loudly.

"Hey, don't get me wrong I love to party, just not with jerks," Angela replied.

"I have to agree with that," Elena said nodding in agreement.

Looking over at the other group Ianto was forced to agree with the girls' assessment. He didn't like to judge, but listening to the conversations going on around him at the moment, they all sounded like stuck up, spoilt rich kids.

"Oh look, here come the Americans." Ianto heard one of the loudmouths announce suddenly.

"Oh great, loud, obnoxious, ugly Americans," he heard one of the other loudmouths comment and had to bite back the urge to laugh at the boy who'd said it. What exactly did he think he sounded like? The boy wasn't in any position to be pointing out anyone else for being loud and obnoxious.

Ianto turned his attention to the approaching American/Canadian group.

"Oh, wow!" he head Angela exclaim and had to bite his tongue to keep from saying the same thing.

There were two guys and a girl. The girl had auburn hair and pale skin. She was dressed rather simply in jeans and a tank top, but a chunky necklace in a Native American design and a wide leather belt with a rather large buckle on the front added unexpected flair to the outfit.

Both of the guys were tall and well muscled with dark brown hair. The first had dark eyes and his hair cut short and spiky at the top. He was dressed in a pair of jeans and a T-shirt with a leather belt that had 'cocky' written in large bold letters across the buckle. He was without a doubt incredibly gorgeous, but it was the second guy that had Ianto transfixed.

He had vivid blue/grey eyes and his hair was cut short and spiky save for his fringe which hung over his forehead in a slightly crazy manner. He was wearing dark blue jeans, a black T-shirt and a leather Jacket that seemed completely insane considering they were about to walk out into an Australian Summer but made him look like a rock star. He wasn't just gorgeous, he was breathtaking.

The two guys had taken to walking on opposite sides of the young woman, who, for her part, seemed completely oblivious to exactly how gorgeous her two escorts were.

"Oh I so want to be her right now," Angela commented dreamily.

Ianto couldn't help but agree with her.

The group reached the rest of the gathered students and were about to introduce themselves when another voice rang out.

"Oh, you're all here at last, wonderful." The owner of the voice was a middle-aged man in a suit and tie approaching the group from the side. "Okay, so now that we've all arrived let's get you all on the bus so we can get moving." He motioned toward the door and the waiting bus before turning and striding out.

The group followed behind him eager to get out of the airport. They got their gear loaded on and piled into the bus.

Ianto ended up sitting with Katie which he was quite happy about. He really hadn't wanted to end up sitting with one of the obnoxious group, although sitting with the lovely, blue/grey eyed American/Canadian wouldn't have been bad either.

As it turned out, the American/Canadian group was the last on the bus and ended up sitting in the chairs just in front of Ianto anyway so he got a full view of the beautiful boy. Yay!!

The middle-aged man who had lead them out of the airport stood up in the front of the bus talking most of the way to the school so Ianto didn't get to introduce himself to the object of his affection, not that he'd know what to say if he did get the chance. He'd never seen anyone that gorgeous, it was really doing a number on his brain.

'And it's not like he could possibly be interested in you anyway' Ianto heard his mental voice sneer in his head. Well, if he was being honest, it wasn't his voice it was Justin's and that annoyed him. He'd heard those kinds of words from the other boy for a long time. Ianto had promised himself when he arrived in Australia he would free himself from Justin's influence. He could only hope it wouldn't take the whole year.

Finally they arrived at the school and just as he'd expected, the obnoxious bunch made their way to the front en-masse, blocking everyone else off. Once the walkway was clear, the two American/Canadian boys allowed the young girl to go first and followed her off the bus, probably to protect her from the obnoxious bunch, Ianto decided.

They were led into a large hall where the principle greeted them all and welcomed them to the school. They were all handed an envelope containing their room allotments, keys, timetables and all the other things they would need while they were at the school and then dismissed to get settled in.

Ianto lost sight of the gorgeous American/Canadian (he really needed to find out which he was) in the crowd so he didn't see where he went which annoyed Ianto slightly. He was pulled out of his annoyance by Owen asking him which room allotment he'd been given.

He looked down at his key and told the young Russian boy that he was in room 1k.

Owen looked relieved. "I'm in 3k," he explained. "Thank god I'm close to at least someone sane."

Ianto chuckled. "I will agree with that assessment," he replied.

The female students were housed separately from the males so they bid the girls farewell and agreed to meet up with them at the girls' dorm when lunchtime came around. The girls smiled and waved and headed off toward their dorm. Ianto turned to Owen and asked, "So, shall we go?"

Owen agreed and they headed off.

"So, if you're 3k and I'm 1k, I wonder who we'll be sharing our block with," Ianto wondered.

The dorm rooms were split up into blocks. Each block had a small common room, two bath rooms and four bedrooms, which meant they'd have at least two other people sharing their block with them. Ianto really hoped it wasn't any of the obnoxious bunch; there was no way he'd be able to sleep if his neighbours were noisy and irritating.

Owen shrugged. "Let's just hope it's someone tolerable."

"Fingers crossed," Ianto replied as the pair crossed the threshold and entered the dormitories.

They finally found their block and after one last hopeful look at each other they opened the outer door and entered the common room. Their roommates were nowhere to be seen so they headed over to their allotted doors.

Ianto couldn't help admiring the set up. The common room was long and wide with a window at the far end offering a lovely view of the school grounds. A small kitchenette was set up beneath it, complete with a small fridge, a toaster, a kettle, and a selection of crockery and silver-wear.

At the other end of the room, on the wall next to the door was an entertainment unit, complete with a flat screen TV, DVD player, stereo system and surround sound. A large four-seater, an average sized two-seater and a single-seater couch; all in a black, leather finish were set up in front of the entertainment system along with a thick, soft looking rug in a native Aboriginal design and colour scheme. There were three doors off to either side of the room. The doors in the middle led to the bathrooms and the bedroom doors were those on either side. Ianto found his door at the far end of the common room and unlocked it. When he'd been reading the brochure about the school he'd been pleased to discover that not only did the room's outer door lock, but so did all the individual bedroom doors. At least that meant if he really hated his roommates they couldn't get into his room to bother him.

Inside the room were a double bed, a desk, one bedside table and a door which led to a walk-in wardrobe with another door at the far end opening in to the bathroom. Ianto smiled, this was a nice set up.

All their heavy luggage had been delivered to their rooms for them already, so Ianto put his carry bag down and got to work unpacking. He had his clothes in his closet and was about to make the bed when he heard voices out in the common room.

"Ianto!" he heard Owen call out. "Our roommates are here!"

Ianto took a deep breath to prepare himself and headed out to see who they were. He was more than a little shocked when he found himself face to face with the two American/Canadian boys. His heart raced as he came forward to introduce himself, silently willing himself not to stutter.

"Hi," he greeted with a friendly smile. "I'm Ianto Jones, from Wales." He held out his hand to the closest guy who also happened to be the breathtakingly beautiful one.

The guy smiled back and Ianto suddenly found it very difficult to breathe. If Ianto had found him breathtaking before, he had to be somewhere near the realm of purely angelic now. That smile was so far beyond amazing it wasn't funny.

"Jack Harkness, from Canada," the guy replied shaking Ianto's hand. "It's an absolute joy to meet you, Ianto Jones."

"And you, Mr. Harkness," Ianto managed to reply.

"Oh please, call me Jack," the beautiful man replied.

"All right, Jack."

They smiled at each other for a moment before Ianto realized that his hand was still firmly grasped in Jack's and he gently extricated it from the gorgeous man's grasp.

Jack looked slightly surprised himself by the discovery and gave Ianto an apologetic smile.

Ianto gave him a friendly smile in return before turning to face the other guy who held his hand out and smiled in greeting.

"Seeley Booth, from America," he introduced himself.

"Lovely to meet you, Mr. Booth, Ianto Jones," Ianto said.

"Pleased to meet you too and Seeley works just fine for me," the American replied.

"Very well, Seeley. I assume you've both met Owen over here?" he asked the pair who nodded. "I have to say I'm really glad it's you two rooming with us for the year, we were both rather concerned that we might end up with some of the other students from the program. I'm sure they're all decent people, they're just a little loud for our taste."

"And obnoxious," Owen added causing the two new arrivals to grin.

"Yeah we kinda got that vibe when we first reached the group and on the bus ride over here," Seeley replied. The other three chuckled slightly. "We figured you two were the more pleasant of the group that's why all the girls were sitting over with you."

Ianto nodded in response. "Yes, the girls are all lovely and we bonded over our mutual dislike of obnoxious jerks."

Jack and Seeley laughed.

"So anyway I was thinking, since we're all going to be living together in this small space we might sit down and have a proper chat after we've settled in," Ianto suggested. "You know just get to know each other a little and discuss any issues we think might arise so we all continue to get along."

Jack, Seeley and Owen nodded in agreement. "I think that sounds like a good idea," Jack agreed.

"Alright then I guess we should get back to unpacking. We'll meet back out here when we're all done." Ianto announced and the group headed back into their rooms to continue unpacking. Ianto reached the door to his room and paused. He'd forgotten to ask who was in room 2k and therefore sharing a bathroom with him. He really should have asked that.

"Oh, Ianto," Jack's voice drew his attention back down the common room to the other bedroom door on the same wall as his own. "Looks like we're neighbours you and me." The Canadian announced with a grin. "Don't worry I don't snore."

Ianto grinned back. "Thank god for that! Don't worry; neither do I."

They grinned at each other for a moment before disappearing back into their rooms. As soon as he was alone Ianto allowed himself to grin even wider. Jack was only a room away from him; that was definitely something to smile about. He quashed the negative thoughts that immediately flew into his head about how Jack would never be interested in him and went back to making the bed.

--

end of chapter 1

So what do we think so far??? Who do we think Justin is any theories???? If anyone's wondering I made Jack Canadian rather than American because from what I've heard Canadians are more open minded when it comes to sexuality and I thought that would suit him better. Once again please review and let me know what you think, if there are any criticisms please make them constructive.

Love you all

Kayla


	2. Books, covers, judging, don't

Hi all, here's the next chapter. I won't say much up here this time except for those who might be wondering why I removed this from the crossovers section where I had it originally. Since this is an AU story and not really based in either the bones or the Torchwood universe but centres mainly around Ianto and Jack I decided it would be better listed as a Torchwood story with Bones characters thrown in for fun.

To Yo, since I can't send you a reply via email, thanks for the review and yes Seeley Booth is a character from Bones.

Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter I **really really** love them. I hope you all got my replies but if you didn't please let me know.

Hope you all had a great Christmas.

**Books, covers, judging, don't…you know the saying**

The rest of the day went by very quickly. All the students got unpacked and settled, and Ianto, Jack, Seeley, and Owen had their meeting and got everything sorted. The four of them then headed over together to the girl's dorm since it was almost lunch time and Jack and Seeley wanted to find their friend. The girls were just heading out the door when the guys arrived.

The young red head, whose name turned out to be Temperance Brennan, was American and had met Seeley and Jack at the airport. She was sharing a room with Angela, Katie and Tosh. Elena was sharing a room with a girl named Martha who'd just arrived from New Zealand and two other girls who weren't arriving until tomorrow.

Introductions were made and the group headed over to the dining hall to find lunch. Once they'd found food and a table big enough to seat them all they sat down (Ianto was very pleased to get a spot next to Jack) and began to talk more about themselves. Martha and Owen wanted to be Doctors. Toshiko was really into technology, Angela was an artist, Katie wanted to be a fashion designer, Elena wanted to be a photographer, Seeley wanted to get into the FBI, Temperance wanted to be a forensic anthropologist, Jack wasn't really sure what he wanted to do and neither was Ianto.

It made Ianto feel better to know that he wasn't alone. He was smart, very smart and he knew it; he just wasn't sure what to do with that smart. Maybe this year, away from his parents and Justin, he'd be able to decide at last.

"So, nice to know I'm not alone," Jack said.

Ianto looked over at Jack who was giving him a warm smile. "Funny I was just thinking the same thing," he replied returning Jack's smile. "Any thoughts at all?"

Jack shrugged. "Kind of; my parents are really into me studying business and taking over from my father, but it's not really me, you know?"

Ianto nodded. "Yeah I do. Well it's your life; you should do what you want to do. You've told me what they want you to be but what do you want you to be?" he asked

"Honestly, I want to be a pilot." Jack replied only just loud enough that no one aside from Ianto could hear it.

"So why didn't you say so?" Ianto asked.

"Because back home, if I said anything like that, everyone around me would explode." Jack replied. "My parents are . . . snobs. If they ever heard me say that I wanted to do something like that the world would probably end," Jack answered.

Ianto chuckled. "Well, you're not with your parents now. If that's what you want to do then say so. Nobody's going to tell you it's wrong here, well, not in this group anyway."

Jack smiled at him again. "You're probably right, Ianto. I know it probably sounds silly me caring what my parents want but,"

"It doesn't sound silly," Ianto cut him off. "Believe me; I know exactly how you feel." Ianto thought back to all the times he'd tried to tell his parents about Justin but hadn't been able to bring himself to do it because he knew they wouldn't believe him. Justin was a saint as far as they were concerned.

"So what about you, Ianto, what do you want to do?" Jack asked.

"I honestly have no idea." Ianto replied. "I'm hoping this year might help me answer that."

Jack nodded. "Well I'd be happy to help."

Ianto smiled at him gratefully. "Thanks, I might just take you up on that."

They shared a smile for a moment and Ianto's gaze locked with Jack's. His eyes were so beautiful Ianto couldn't bear to look away.

"So, what's going on here?"

They were pulled out of their reverie by a voice Ianto recognized as belonging to one of the other students from the UK. He and jack looked up at the same time as the rest of the group and found the obnoxious bunch leering at them.

"What are you lot doing over here all together? You didn't invite us to your little lunch." The head of the group asked.

"We would have, except that, well, you're kind of obnoxious." Owen replied causing the rest of the group to laugh quietly.

The head of the obnoxious bunch turned the colour of a tomato and stomped over to the other side of the table where Owen was sitting. Owen for his part ignored the other student's advance and continued drinking his coke.

"What did you say?"

Owen swallowed his mouthful and turned to look at the other boy, a calm expression on his face. "I said that you're obnoxious. And if you think I'm wrong why don't you ask the rest of the group what they think."

"Oh, I see," the boy went quiet for a moment and looked away as if what Owen had said had hurt his feelings.

"Look, you're probably not doing it on purpose." Ianto jumped in suddenly feeling a little sorry for the other boy. "It's just that since we've been here you've all been really loud and kind of unpleasant. I mean you were judging the American group over here before they even had a chance to introduce themselves. Now I personally don't know you, maybe it's just in your nature to be loud and that's okay some people are like that. The rest of us over here aren't into being loud and over the top all the time so we've kept ourselves separate from you and your bunch to avoid unnecessary conflict. It's nothing personal against you it's just a preference."

The head of the obnoxious group looked over at his friends who seemed to be just as surprised as him by what Owen and Ianto were saying.

"Well, we weren't trying to be mean, we were just having fun," the boy mumbled.

"At the expense of other people," Owen threw in causing the other boy to glare at him once more. "What? Don't glare at me it's the truth. What was that you were saying about obnoxious Americans earlier today? And yet the Americans in this group haven't been anywhere near as unpleasant as you."

"We haven't been that bad," a young man with a Scottish accent interjected.

"You think so?" Owen asked. "What about when you got off the bus this morning? You pushed past everyone else without any regard to the fact that we were all closer to the front than you were. And have you not heard the rule that says ladies first? I'm wondering, were you brought up at all or just kicked in the ass and told to get up?"

"Owen." Elena grabbed his arm gently obviously not wanting her brother to get into a fight.

"What's wrong sweetheart, worried that we might hurt your precious brother?" Another member of the group asked.

"No," Elena replied simply. "If he were to end up in a fight with any of you, or, all of you for that matter, it wouldn't be him getting hurt."

The boy who'd spoken stared at Elena for a moment, as if he were trying to work out whether or not to believe her. Suddenly a grin spread across his face and he chuckled. "You know what I'd believe that." He replied jovially. "Sorry, sweetheart, I was just messing with ya."

"Call me sweetheart again and it will be me messing with you," Elena warned, although it didn't sound as severe as it could have.

The rest of the obnoxious bunch broke into uproarious laughter at that comment. "You know what, I like you," the head of the group told Elena between chuckles before turning to address his friend. "I think you just got owned mate."

Ianto's gaze travelled from his group to the other. Maybe they could talk this out and learn to get along after all. "Look, why don't we start over," he suggested when the laughter died down. "I'm Ianto Jones, from Wales, what's your name?" he asked.

"Rhys, Rhys Williams from England." The boy replied quietly.

"Well, Rhys Williams, it's nice to meet you, why don't you introduce the rest of your friends?"

The group sat quietly as Rhys introduced the rest of his friends. Tom from Scotland, Mickey from Ireland (and recently owned by Elena), and Theodore from Greece. Once he was done Ianto introduced their group.

"Now, as long as you can tone it down a little and be pleasant we'd be more than happy for you to join us," Ianto invited.

"Is this all right with you, Owen?" Rhys asked still seemingly a little miffed at the other boy for telling him that he was obnoxious.

"Hey, I don't care who's here as long as you're quiet and polite," Owen replied before turning his attention to Elena. "And you stay away from my sister."

The group agreed before taking seats at the table.

Ianto sighed and looked over at Jack, surprised to find the lovely Canadian smiling at him. "What?" he asked.

"That was impressive. Maybe you should be a diplomat."

Ianto chuckled back at him. "Maybe I should," he replied taking a sip of his drink. They smiled at each other for a moment before Seeley asked Jack a question drawing his attention away.

Ianto felt butterflies dancing around in his stomach. Maybe he really did have a chance with Jack after all. Yeah, right! What was he thinking? Jack was perfect there was no way he could possibly want Ianto like that. More likely he was just being friendly and after a few days here Jack would be dating some gorgeous Australian girl. Ianto looked down at his drink, his good mood suddenly gone.

"Hey do you guys want to take a walk around the campus, get to know where things are?" He barely heard Angela ask. The group agreed and began to stand up.

Ianto was so lost in his thoughts, that for a moment, he forgot about the damage that had been inflicted on him the night before he left and stood up without thinking. He barely had time to suppress the cry of pain that would have left his mouth as his ribs and his legs protested the movement. The wince couldn't be disguised however and his hand moved involuntarily to his rib cage. He closed his eyes for a moment and allowed himself to breathe through the pain, hoping like hell that no one was watching him.

"Ianto are you ok?" It was Jack's voice that drew him out of his pain filled haze and back into reality. He opened his eyes to find the group watching him intently, the concern obvious in their eyes.

"Yeah, I'm fine." He lied, straightening up properly.

"Are you sure you don't look so fine?" Owen asked.

Ianto gave him a reassuring smile. "I'm fine, just pulled a muscle in my side the day before I left and stood up too quickly. So, are we going?" he asked trying to get the attention back off him.

"Um sure," Angela replied leading the way out of the hall. She didn't look convinced, none of them did.

Ianto pushed his chair in and followed her, aware of all the sets of eyes now monitoring his every move. Damn, he'd have to be even more careful now.

--

That night, after they'd all had dinner and retired to their own rooms for the evening, Ianto sat at his computer making sure everything was set up properly for the new area. He opened up his Email and felt his blood run cold as he saw a message from Justin flash up in the inbox.

He thought about just deleting it, but at the same time he knew how dangerous it could be to ignore something from Justin. With shaking hands he clicked on the message and immediately wished he hadn't.

'_Just because you're on the other side of the world doesn't mean you're out of my reach. You're mine, Ianto, MINE! You will always be mine! No matter where you go or what you do you belong to me and don't you EVER forget it!'_

He immediately deleted the message and closed down the computer before crawling shakily into bed. Finding a comfortable position while his body was so damaged was difficult but he'd had plenty of practice over the last 10 or so years. Once he was as comfortable as he was going to get, he pulled the blankets tightly around him, trying to get rid of the chill filling his blood. He was all the way in Australia, what could Justin possibly do to him? He knew it was just the other man's way of trying to get inside his head, but he couldn't push aside the feeling of dread that filled him. It took him a long time to fall asleep that night, and when he finally did, his dreams were full of Justin.

--

After a few hours of rotten, nightmare plagued sleep, Ianto gave up. Looking over at the clock he saw that it was 5am and figured he'd get up and go for a walk. He threw on some tracksuit pants, a T-shirt and runners and headed out into the common room. He was more than a little surprised to find Owen, Seeley and Jack already up and dressed in a similar manner to himself.

"Oh, hi," he greeted them, masking his surprise behind a friendly smile.

The three of them looked up at him in surprise before returning his smile and greeting him back.

"I didn't realize you were a morning jogger too." Jack commented.

"I'm not, well I am but only when I wake up and can't go back to sleep. I'm taking it that the rest of you do this quite often?" he asked.

"I go every morning," Owen replied. "My father's in the military and it was part of our daily routine as soon as he thought we were old enough."

"I have to be fit for the FBI," Seeley explained.

"And I just like looking good," Jack replied with a grin.

Ianto grinned back; he couldn't argue with that. "Well then, mind if I join you?" he asked.

The other three shook their heads and they all headed out.

"Now that I know I'll have company, I might make this a common occurrence." Ianto decided as they made their way out of the dormitory.

"It's very good for you," Owen commented.

"Well, you are the doctor." Ianto conceded eliciting a chuckle from the others.

They got outside and headed for the path that led out of the school grounds. They were met there by Toshiko, Temperance, Elena and Martha. They bid each other good morning and headed out.

As Ianto jogged along with the group (suddenly very grateful that he'd been part of the track and field team back home) he couldn't help but smile. He'd had the most horrid night's sleep, but being out here on such a lovely morning surrounded by people who were quickly becoming new friends made all the weight of the previous evening just melt away. He'd done it, he'd escaped, and now he was in Australia, far, far away from Justin and the pain.

Seeley and Owen were at the front of the group, Elena and Temperance were behind them, Jack and Martha were next followed by himself and Toshiko at the back. Every once in a while someone said something that made the group laugh, but otherwise it was silent save for the sound of shoes hitting the pavement.

They followed Owen and Seeley around a few blocks before heading back to the school. On the way back, having already seen all the scenery, Ianto made the mistake of turning his attention to the object of his affection jogging in front of him and gasped. Jack was wearing a white shirt and had, of course, started to sweat; causing the shirt to become rather see through and cling to all his lovely muscles.

Oh my god!

An image of Ianto running his hands all over those perfect muscles immediately jumped into his head and for a moment he forgot how to breathe. After a few seconds of fantasy he managed to rip his gaze away, knowing that if he didn't get his breathing back under control soon, he wouldn't make it back to the school without collapsing.

He turned his mind to the feeling of the muscles burning in his legs. They were starting to recover from the damage inflicted by Justin before he left, but they still hurt a little. His ribs on the other hand; they were going to take a bit longer to recover. He kept his eyes firmly on the ground until they got back into the school grounds and headed back to their rooms to shower. Ianto managed to keep his eyes away from Jack until they reached their room and the gorgeous Canadian asked him if he'd like the shower first.

Ianto kept his eyes trained on Jack's as he told the other boy that he didn't mind who went first. Jack told him that he could take it and Ianto thanked him and headed in, making absolutely sure not to let his eyes wander on to Jack's gorgeous chest; which, thanks to Jack pouring half the contents of his water bottle over his head, was now almost completely visible through the wet fabric of his shirt.

Ianto showered as quickly as he could considering how difficult it was to get to all the spots he needed to clean with his ribs still damaged. As soon as he was done, he called out to Jack to let him know the shower was free before heading back in to his room to get dressed.

As he eased the singlet over his head he heard Jack turn on the shower. Images of the Canadian naked and wet flew unbidden into Ianto's head and he closed his eyes, willing the images away. As soon as he had himself somewhat under control once more he continued dressing. He had just finished tying his tie when he heard Jack curse quietly from behind the bathroom door.

Concerned, Ianto made his way over to the door and knocked gently. "Jack, are you okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, Ianto I'm fine, just having an argument with my tie." He heard Jack call back to him.

"I can help you if you like." Ianto offered.

He heard Jack sigh before footsteps approached the door and Jack opened it. The gorgeous Canadian looked at Ianto for a moment; a resigned look on his face. "I'm usually so good at this you know, for some reason this tie just hates me," he grumbled as Ianto reached out to take a hold of the offending object.

"Oh come on now, Jack. Who, or in this instance what, could possibly hate you?" Ianto asked as he looped Jack's tie around itself.

Jack smiled warmly at him. "Thanks, Ianto."

Ianto finished with the tie and gave the Canadian a warm smile in return. "You're welcome." He began to pull his hands away but suddenly found them caught in Jack's grasp. He gasped in surprise and looked at Jack questioningly, a light blush spreading across his cheeks.

Jack's blue eyes burned into him and Ianto was powerless to do anything but stare at the gorgeous man in front of him. After what felt like an eternity Jack spoke. "How are you feeling today, Ianto?" he asked.

Ianto was confused by the question. "W . . . what do you mean?" he could have kicked himself for stuttering like that.

"Yesterday you said that you hurt yourself before you came here, how's your side?" Jack elaborated.

Realisation finally dawned on Ianto and he managed a reassuring smile for the Canadian. "I'm fine, still a little sore but I'm getting better . . . thank you for asking."

Jack's eyes searched his and for a moment, Ianto thought the Canadian was going to call him on his lie.

"Hey, Jack, Ianto, you guys ready yet? It's almost time for us to go to orientation." Seeley's voice interrupted their moment.

"Coming," Jack called out in reply before turning back to Ianto and gazing into his eyes once more. "You take it easy today, all right?"

All Ianto could do was nod.

Jack gave him an adoring smile before letting go of his hands and heading back into his own room. "Thanks again." He called over his shoulder.

Ianto managed an "Any time." Before closing his door and fighting against the urge to hyperventilate. 'Did that just happen, or have you finally lost it?' his mental voice asked.

Ianto honestly didn't have an answer for it.

--

End of chapter 2

I hope you liked it, more should be up soon. **PLEASE REVIEW PRETTY PRETTY PLEASE.**

Love you all

Kayla


	3. Competition and New Friends

Hi all, I'm back again with another update. It's currently 1:35am here and I've just come home from a new years gathering to find my latest chapter back from my wonderful Beta, YAY!!! She's so awesome :) Anyway I was going to wait until I'd had some sleep before posting but as it turned out I'm rather wide awake so it's here for you now instead. Thank you so much to all of you who have reviewed/favourited/alerted my story. The response has been incredible and it's made me really want to keep writing so thank you all so much :).

**HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE, MAY YOUR 2010 BE WONDERFUL AND SHINY!!!**

**Big huge thanks go to Socalrose my lovely beta for all her amazing work. You truly are a magical being honey, thanks so much :)**

And now here we go,** PLEASE KEEP REVIEWING!!!! I LOVE THEM SO MUCH :).**

**Competition and new friends**

The entire group met up at orientation along with a few new faces that hadn't arrived the previous day. The principal Mr. Goodman greeted them all and welcomed them once again to the school. He then had them introduce themselves and say where they were from.

The two new arrivals were Gwen Cooper and Lisa Hallett from the UK and America respectively. Apparently a couple of countries had pulled out at the last minute so they'd taken the next two students in line for a position in the program. Ianto watched as they introduced themselves politely and gushed to the principal and the group about how thrilled they were to be there. All of that changed however when the principal was called out of the room to take a phone call.

"So then, what have we here?" Gwen asked surveying the group with a sneer. "Boring, boring, dull, fat, ugly, ooh," the last comment was directed at Jack and Seeley. "Look, Lisa, we might have some winners after all."

Lisa followed Gwen's gaze and a sly smile spread across her features. "I think you might be right there," she agreed.

The pair continued to eye off Seeley and Jack like they were pieces of meat and Ianto suddenly felt an overwhelming desire to throw something at them. Jealousy and anger burnt through him like a white hot flame and he gripped the arms of the chair he was sitting on so hard, he was almost positive there would be permanent indents in the plastic. He knew he had no right to be jealous. Jack wasn't his no matter how much Ianto wanted him to be; not that that thought helped the Welsh boy at all.

Ianto sighed internally and the anger slowly ebbed away leaving just the dull ache of jealousy in its wake. If Jack wanted one of those girls there was nothing Ianto could do about it. He looked up at the girls once more and felt a sense of desolation overcome him, they were both rather attractive, Ianto didn't have a chance.

Gwen opened her mouth to say something to Jack and Seeley but was interrupted when Mr. Goodman returned from his phone call. He finished what he'd been saying then led the group out of the hall for a tour of the school grounds.

Ianto walked along silently, lost in his own thoughts. He'd known since the first moment he'd seen Jack that he wouldn't have a chance with the Canadian boy, but it hurt all the more now that he'd seen his competition. He wondered how long it would take Gwen and Lisa to approach Jack and Seeley now that the principal was occupied, and even though he didn't want to, he wondered what the boys would say when they did.

If he'd been paying any attention to something other than his jealousy and sadness, he would have noticed that the moment the group stood up to head outside, they'd all closed ranks around Ianto, Jack, Seeley and Temperance, preventing Gwen and Lisa from reaching them. He also may have noticed that Jack had stayed close to him since they'd stood up and was now walking alongside Ianto, watching him with concerned eyes however, Ianto didn't notice. Although as it turned out, he was the only one who didn't.

Thanks to the group's positioning, Gwen and Lisa didn't get anywhere near Jack or Seeley for the rest of the orientation tour. When it was over they were given a topic to study back in their dormitories until lunch time and dismissed. Ianto headed silently back to his room, still completely oblivious to Jack's presence.

"Are you all right, Ianto? You look upset," Jack said.

Startled, Ianto stopped walking and turned to face the Canadian, surprised to see the look of concern in his lovely blue/gray eyes. He recovered quickly and replied, "Oh no, I'm fine." He gave the Canadian a quick smile, before continuing his journey toward the dorm.

He could feel Jack's eyes burning into him, and for a moment he thought Jack was going to call him on his lie. Instead he was surprised when Jack asked**,** "How would you feel about having a little gathering in our room tonight?"

"Oh, um . . . I don't know, what did you have in mind? Ianto asked masking his surprise at the question.

"Well I was thinking, after today we're going to be really busy with school work, so while we have a little free time we could relax a bit and watch a movie back in our room, maybe invite the rest of the group to join us," Jack suggested.

"Kind of like a last night of freedom celebration?" Ianto asked.

"Yeah, why not," Jack replied.

Ianto thought about it. "It sounds good to me, as long as Seeley and Owen don't mind," he replied.

Jack turned back to where Seeley and Owen were walking just behind them, having an in-depth debate about . . . something. "Hey guys, how would you feel about having a movie night in our room tonight with the rest of the group?" he asked.

Owen and Seeley looked at each other for a moment before agreeing eagerly (Ianto was pretty sure the biggest attraction the idea held to them was getting Temperance and Katie into their room).

"All right, well, after school we'll head out to the local store to get some munchies and decide on a movie to watch. Any ideas?" Jack asked.

Ianto smiled as the other three began discussing movie ideas, this morning may have sucked but tonight might be fun.

--

When the girls arrived back at their dormitory it was to find the place in a mild state of chaos. All the local students had arrived and were moving in, so the hall ways were crowded with people.

"I vote we all hide in our room until this dies down a little." Angela suggested.

The rest of the group nodded in agreement and began weaving their way through the crowd.

"Hey, do you suppose our new neighbours are here yet?" Martha asked Elena.

Elena shrugged. "I don't know we could always check on our way past."

"You don't suppose it's those two we met this morning do you?" Martha asked.

"Good god I hope not," Elena replied.

"Did you guys see the way they were eyeing off Seeley and Jack like they were pieces of meat rather than people?" Angela asked.

The group muttered an agreement.

"It was pathetic, I was waiting for one of them to start drooling," Martha added causing the rest of the group to laugh.

They reached Martha and Elena's room and the two girls opened their main door and poked their heads in. There was no one there yet so they shrugged to each other and shut the door once more. They reported their discovery to the rest of the group before continuing their way down the hall to the other girls' room.

They reached block L and made their way inside, immediately sinking down on to the couches with a sigh.

"Well, that's better," Martha announced.

They sat there for a few moments allowing the quiet to sink in before Angela spoke again.

"Hey, is it just me or does it seem like Jack and Ianto are kind of into each other?" she asked.

"It's not just you," Martha replied. "There was definitely a vibe there. Did you see the look on Ianto's face while the vultures were eyeing Jack and Seeley?"

The rest of the group nodded.

"I think they'd be cute together," Katie commented drawing a murmur of agreement from the others.

"There's something going on with Ianto though, I'm sure of it," Angela continued.

"I think so too, did you see the way he was holding his side yesterday when he stood up? He was in pain, lots of pain and I don't think it was a muscle like he said." Elena agreed.

"It wasn't," Temperance interrupted the conjecture. "He's been holding himself rigidly since the first moment I saw him in the air port. At first I thought it was because he was nervous but after yesterday at lunch I was convinced that he was hiding a much more serious injury than a muscle issue and after closer observation I'm convinced that it's rib damage."

"What makes you think so?" Angela asked.

"I could explain it but you probably wouldn't understand," Temperance replied matter-of-factly.

"No you're probably right there," Angela agreed with a nod.

"So, should we be asking the guys to keep an eye on him?" Katie asked.

"No."

They all looked up when Tosh spoke; it wasn't something that happened often.

"He's going to a lot of effort to hide whatever it is that's wrong with him; obviously he doesn't want us knowing about it and he must have his reasons. If we ask the guys to spy on him it might freak Ianto out," she explained

"So, what do you think we should do?" Elena asked.

"Personally I don't think we should do anything." When it looked like the group were about to argue Tosh held her hand up for silence. "Didn't you see the look on Jack's face when Ianto said it was muscular? He knows Ianto's lying; he knows there's more to it. I say we leave it up to him to look after Ianto, he seems to be doing a good job of it so far."

"He did stay particularly close to Ianto for the rest of the afternoon yesterday and this morning too. I think Tosh is right; we should leave him to Jack. I mean what better way to get them together?" Katie agreed.

The group thought it over for a moment before agreeing and getting on to their assignment the principal had issued.

After a minute Temperance broke the silence by asking, "Hey, do you think Jack or Seeley might be interested in either of the new girls?"

The question was meant to sound nonchalant, but the rest of the girls knew exactly what she was really asking.

"No, I don't think so," Angela replied with a knowing smile. "I think Seeley's interests lie elsewhere."

Temperance looked up at her curiously. "Where?" she asked.

"You sweetie."

Temperance looked confused. "What makes you say that?" she asked.

"Oh, didn't anyone tell you? I'm the queen of the dating world," Angela replied with a straight face.

The rest of the group giggled, Temperance still looked confused.

"Trust me I just know these things." Angela gave Temperance's arm a gentle squeeze. "And before you ask me for scientific evidence, remember this is life not science and sometimes in life there just isn't any."

Temperance looked unconvinced but a small smile played on her lips as she got back to her research.

--

Lunch time saw the group back together at the table they'd adopted the previous day. The lunch room was a lot busier than it had been the day before as most of the Australian students had arrived by now. Ianto was sitting between Jack and Katie listening to Jack talk about the plans for this evening when Lisa and Gwen approached the table.

"Hi there, mind if we join you?" Gwen asked the question directly to Jack.

All eyes immediately turned to Ianto waiting to see if he was going to react badly. He however didn't notice, as all of his attention was focused on Jack and what the Canadian was going to say.

"That's up to the group," Jack replied. "I don't speak for them."

Gwen and Lisa's gaze wandered over the group, both of them noticing immediately where all of the attention had turned. Finally their eyes fell on Ianto and Gwen spoke again.

"It seems your posse wants you to answer us, Mr., um . . . what was your name?"

"Ianto," the group replied in a unified fashion, which would have look rather comical to anyone who might be watching.

"Wow!" Lisa exclaimed. "You all really like him don't you?"

Ianto was surprised by the reaction, but rather than letting it be known, he turned his attention back to the group.

"It's up to all of you, I don't really care personally," he replied. It was a lie, of course he cared, he didn't want either of them anywhere near Jack or Seeley. Seeley was his friend and Jack was the man he wanted; he didn't want to see either of them anywhere near those vultures.

Ianto was incredibly surprised when it was Temperance that stood up and replied, "In that case no, we don't want you sitting here." Her tone was matter-of-fact with just the slightest hint of unkindness.

The rest of the group had a hard time keeping a straight face as the two vultures stared open mouthed at the young American.

Temperance retook her seat in between Seeley and Jack and got back to her lunch as if nothing had happened. "The salad is really good today," she commented.

The rest of the group giggled quietly as the two vultures finally recovered from their shock and stalked off in a huff.

Ianto sighed internally; he was really glad that the rest of the group hadn't voted to include them. He didn't like to judge but sometimes it was hard not to, particularly when their motives for wanting to join the group were so obvious. He looked over at Jack and found the young Canadian studying him closely.

"What's wrong?" he asked concerned.

"I was about to ask you the same thing," Jack replied.

Ianto gave the other boy a reassuring smile and shook his head. "Nothing I'm fine, just thinking."

Jack looked unconvinced but he didn't question Ianto further. Instead, Ianto was surprised when the Canadian reached over and gently brushed the back of his fingers over Ianto's cheek.

"All right," Jack said quietly before turning his attention back to his lunch.

Ianto felt himself blush and immediately turned his attention back to his food even though the butterflies now dancing around in his stomach made it impossible for him to eat anything for the rest of the lunch hour.

He missed the sly smiles that passed between Katie, Angela, Elena, Martha, and Tosh, as well as Jack's gaze which wandered back to him to see his reaction and the small smile that graced the Canadian's features when he saw the blush covering Ianto's normally pale skin.

--

The rest of the day was taken up with more orientation activity and when they were finally let go at two, Jack, Ianto, Owen, and Seeley made their way into town to find snacks for their movie night while the girls headed back to their dormitory.

"Maybe our roommates will be here at last," Martha suggested.

"Maybe," Elena replied.

The group reached Elena and Martha's room and bid the pair farewell before heading on down the corridor. Martha and Elena shared a glance and took a deep breath before opening their door. What they found when they entered the common room made them both sigh in gratitude. Their roommates weren't Gwen and Lisa; they were in fact two other girls, obviously Australian by their accent. One was rather tall with dark brown curly hair reaching just below her shoulders and slashed through with caramel foils, dark brown eyes and skin which suggested that either she or at least one of her parents were of Spanish origin.

The other was only a little thing, reaching just above the shoulders of the first girl. She had long, dark brown, spiral curls slashed through with bright crimson foils, chocolate brown eyes and skin that wasn't quite olive but wasn't white either. They were both lovely to look at, but Elena found herself staring at the smaller of the two girls entranced. She was almost exactly how Elena had always pictured her perfect girlfriend and it was making her head spin.

Both girls looked up when their Martha and Elena walked in and gave them both a friendly smile.

"Hi," the smaller girl greeted, moving toward the pair and extending her hand. "I'm Morghan and this is Ray."

"Hi," Martha greeted back since Elena seemed to be having trouble with even simple words. "I'm Martha and this is Elena."

"It's lovely to meet you both," Morghan replied after they'd all shaken hands. "I'm guessing from your accent that you're joining us from the land of the beached whale?"

Martha laughed. "Yes, yes that's me, born and bred in Kiwi land. I'm guessing from your accent that you're both locals?" Martha asked.

"Locals to the country but not to the area," Morghan replied. "Home for us is a fair way away from here but we know our way around pretty well. Homesickness can be a bit tough but at least we all have that in common."

Martha nodded, "Too true."

Morghan turned her attention to Elena then and the young Russian felt her heart stop.

"What about you, where are you from?" she asked.

"Russia," Elena managed to reply.

"Oh wow really? I've always wanted to go there," Morghan replied her eyes alight with curiosity. "What's it like?"

"Um, very different from here; nowhere near as warm," Elena replied.

"I would imagine not. Actually, come to think of it, you're both from cooler climates than ours. How are you going dealing with the heat over here?" Morghan asked.

"Not too bad. Actually it's not as hot as I expected." Elena replied looking over at Martha who nodded in agreement.

"That's because we're up in the mountains, it's cooler up here. Wait until you take a trip down to sea level, you'll definitely feel the difference then," Morghan told them with a grin.

"Something to look forward to," Martha said dryly.

"Actually it is, once you reach normal ground level you find beaches and water parks and all the fun stuff that keeps you cool," Morghan replied. "Trust me, there is nowhere on Earth with a better climate for beach going than here. We'll take you one weekend you'll love it."

Elena and Martha smiled. "That sounds good," Martha replied. "Did they let you bring your cars? She asked with a raised eyebrow.

Morghan and Ray laughed. "Yes they did, but only because we had no way of getting here otherwise." Morghan replied

Martha was about to respond when there was a knock on the door.

"Who is it?" she called out.

"It's me sweetie," They heard Angela's voice reply.

Martha moved to let them in and Morghan and Ray looked at Elena curiously.

"Friend of ours," she explained.

Angela entered the room and immediately started telling Martha that Gwen and Lisa were in a block just a few down from theirs sharing with two Australian girls. Suddenly she noticed Morghan and Ray and stopped talking, a slightly guilty look on her face.

"I'm sorry, please excuse me, I'm Angela," she held out her hand to shake.

Morghan and Ray shook her hand and introduced themselves. Angela gave them a friendly smile before continuing her story.

"So yeah, we were down at our room and we heard them talking as they walked past so we stuck our heads out to see where they went and they're like two blocks down from us."

"Lucky you," Martha deadpanned.

"Well, I mainly came down here to tell you that in case your roommates still weren't here so you'd know it wasn't them. Obviously they are here so it's not such big news anymore, but at least we know where they're living now so we can either avoid them or freak them out in the middle of the night." Angela finished.

"We appreciate the effort," Martha replied patting Angela's arm gently.

"So I'm taking it you don't like Lisa and Gwen?" Morghan asked.

"No we don't," Angela replied with a shake of her head.

Morghan nodded. "Do you know who they're rooming with?" she asked

"No we didn't hear their names," Angela replied.

"Well if you do let us know, we might be able to tell you about them," Morghan suggested.

"Thanks we'll keep an ear out," Angela replied. "Actually better still, what are you guys doing now?" she asked.

"Um nothing, we just finished unpacking, why?" Morghan asked.

"Well, it's a few hours until dinner, why don't you come down to our room and hang out with us?" Angela offered.

Morghan looked questioningly at Ray who shrugged in response, indicating that it was Morghan's choice. "Okay that sounds nice," Morghan replied.

"Great let's go," Angela turned to head out of the room.

Elena felt her heartbeat kick up a notch when Morghan turned to her and asked if she was coming too. She nodded in reply and followed the others out of the room and down the hall. They reached the door to Angela's room just as Gwen and Lisa's roommates came out of theirs. Morghan smirked at Ray who returned it with one of her own.

As the pair walked past Morghan called out, "Hey Chelsea, hey Nicky glad to be back at school?"

The two girls looked at Morghan and sneered. "It's great, how about you?"

"Oh it's wonderful! You know me I just love being back in the dorm with so many lovely people such as yourselves. What are your new roommates like?"

Nicky rolled her eyes. "Oh my god they're total whores!!!"

"Yeah I so can't believe the school would let people like that in," Chelsea added.

"I know it's scandalous, however will you deal with the competition?" Morghan asked.

Ray burst out laughing as the two girls in front of them stared at Morghan in shock.

"Did you just call us sluts?" Nicky asked.

Morghan looked thoughtful for a moment. "I don't believe that word passed my lips, no. I mean why would anyone ever say that about you?" she asked with mock sweetness in her tone.

Chelsea and Nicky looked at each other confused.

"Anyway, we were just on our way in but it was lovely to talk to you; maybe we'll have some classes with you this year wouldn't that be just shiny?? Toodles," Morghan called out the last part as they were disappearing through the door way leaving a very confused Nicky and Chelsea behind them.

"My god those two are stupid!" Ray exclaimed as they followed Angela, Elena and Martha into the common room.

Morghan just rolled her eyes. "Stupid doesn't even begin to describe it," she added.

"I take it those two aren't friends of yours?" Martha asked.

"Uh noooo, last year Nicky and Chelsea double teamed Ray's boyfriend as well as the entire football team," Morghan replied.

"Oh, so they should fit right in with Lisa and Gwen then," Martha commented.

Morghan nodded. "Yeah, hey hopefully they'll all battle it out for the crown of the school's biggest slut and kill each other."

"Don't tease me," Ray replied causing the rest of the group to chuckle.

Once the giggling had died down Angela began the introductions.

The girls spent the afternoon together talking about themselves, their homes and their families. When it came time for Morghan and Ray to talk about themselves they told the group where they were from and spoke about their families and what they wanted to do when they left school. Morghan was going to be a writer and Ray wanted to be a fighter pilot.

After that the inevitable question arose about Ray's name which she explained was actually Raylina. After that Angela asked them about why they'd come all this way to go to school. Both girls suddenly got really quiet and downcast and Angela immediately felt guilty for asking.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to upset you," she said in apology.

"Oh no it's fine," Morghan replied giving Angela a reassuring smile. "We told you where we come from, but since you aren't from here you wouldn't realize there is a great distance between our homes. Coming here is the only way for us to be together, or see each other at all really. Ray's parents don't approve of our relationship."

"So are you two together then?" Martha asked.

"Oh, no," Morghan replied with a slight chuckle. "No we're . . ." she broke off and looked at Ray. "There's not really a word for what we are. Friend is too casual a word for us but we're not lovers or anything of the sort. It's more like . . . having an extension of your soul. I know that sounds deep and probably really weird but . . . we just can't be apart; it's too painful a thought to comprehend. Sorry if that makes absolutely no sense, I've never had to explain our relationship to anyone."

"I think it makes perfect sense," Elena replied. "I couldn't bear the thought of coming here without Owen. If they hadn't taken us both I wouldn't have come at all. He's my twin; he's a part of me, I don't think I could function without him."

"My brother and I used to be like that." Temperance had a wistful smile on her face as she spoke. "We were inseparable when we were children. When he went off to college it was so hard for me, I didn't know what to do with myself," she admitted.

"I wouldn't have come here without Tosh," Angela spoke next. "We've only known each other for a year but I've never been closer to anyone in my entire life."

Toshiko looked down and blushed.

"Yeah are you too together or . . .?" Martha left the question open.

Angela blushed slightly and looked down. "Um . . . not at the moment."

There was a general gasp of surprise from the group and Toshiko looked up at Angela in shock.

Angela lifted her eyes to meet the other girl's and winced when she saw the look of shock gracing Tosh's features. "And from the looks of it we're not going to be."

"Why not?" Tosh's asked, surprising everyone in the group.

"From the look on your face I thought . . . well it doesn't matter what I thought. Do you want to go out with me, Tosh?" Angela asked hopefully.

The entire group turned to look at Tosh who smiled shyly at Angela and nodded. Happy squeals filled the room and Angela reached across to Take Tosh's hand gently in hers. Angela smiled warmly at the smaller girl, Tosh's shy smile remained fixed on her.

"Awww, that's so cute!!" Martha exclaimed with a clap of her hands. "Hey, that means tonight can be a celebration as well as a last night of freedom bash."

"Tonight?" Morghan asked.

"Yeah our friends over in the guys' dorm are having a movie night after dinner tonight, wanna join us?" Martha asked.

"Sure, if your friends don't mind," Morghan replied for the pair of them.

"Oh they won't mind, they'll love you guys," Martha dismissed the idea.

"Ok so tonight, any idea what they're watching?" Morghan asked.

The girls shook their heads. "Should be something good though," Martha replied.

--

End of chapter 3.

So what did we think??? Comments, impressions, anything, please let me know. Once again thanks to everyone who's reviewed so far I love you all to bits, and to Socalrose the greatest beta in the universe :)


	4. Nightmares, Emails and Pirates

Hi everyone, how's it going??? Here's chapter four as promised I hope you enjoyed it. I wanted to thank everyone who has reviewed or added my stories to alerts and favourites, it really makes me want to keep writing so thank you so much :).

I chose Pirates of the Caribbean as the movie for two reasons. Firstly since it's one of my favourite trilogies of all time and secondly for reasons that will become apparent in the later chapters. I know all three of them have been out for quite a while now but I've said that the third one will be out in a few months. Like I said before, you'll understand why later on. Anyway here we go.

Warning there are some scary scenes ahead.

Big thanks go to my lovely beta Socalrose who always works so hard for me.

**Nightmares, Emails and Pirates**

The group sat together at dinner as per usual. Angela introduced Morghan and Ray and told the guys the news about her and Tosh. Everyone was of course happy for them and more than happy to have Morghan and Ray join the group.

After dinner they all headed back to the guys dorm to watch Pirates of the Caribbean, deciding that they'd have to have another movie night soon to watch the second one since the third one was going to be out in a couple of months.

The guys had spread blankets and pillows out on the floor (and Ianto had announced that before the next movie night they were going to invest in some bean bags) so the group spread themselves out over the couches as well as the floor and as soon as they were comfortable and had adequate drinks and munchies Jack started the movie. Angela and Tosh had taken up the single-seater couch together while Martha was seated in front of them leaning against their legs.

Rhys, Theodore, Tom and Mickey had taken to the floor along with Morghan and Ray, Tom as close to Martha as he could get without looking suspicious, Theodore doing the same with Ray. Jack, Ianto, Temperance and Seeley had taken up the four-seater couch while Katie, Owen and Elena squeezed into the two-seater together.

All in all it was a good set up, everyone was comfortable and close to the objects of their affection. Elena hadn't taken her eyes off Morghan all night and Owen hadn't failed to notice, just like Elena hadn't failed to notice the attention her brother was paying to Katie. As the movie was starting, Elena turned to Owen and whispered.

"So when are you going to ask her out?"

"I was about to ask you the same question?" Owen replied.

The twins grinned at each other. "They are lovely aren't they?" Elena asked quietly.

"They certainly are. Morghan seems nice, are you going to do anything with your attraction?" Owen asked.

Elena shrugged. "I want to; I just don't know if she'd reciprocate."

"There's only one way to find out," Owen replied.

"What about you?" Elena asked. "Katie's really sweet and I can tell you're completely taken with her."

Owen smiled at his sister for a moment before turning to Katie and whispering in her ear.

Elena watched as a smile spread across Katie's lovely features and she nodded to him in reply.

Owen smiled back and reached for her hand sliding his fingers through hers and gripping it gently. Katie smiled shyly at him for a moment longer before moving to lean her head on his shoulder. Owen raised an eyebrow at his sister before resting his head gently against Katie's.

Elena raised her glass slightly in toast to her brother before turning her attention back to the movie, just in time to see Jack Sparrow arrive on his sinking boat.

--

It was halfway through the movie when Ianto noticed that it was starting to get cold. He watched as the rest of the group moved closer together without even realizing they were doing it and smiled. They were a lovely group of people and he was so glad they'd all come together in the end. He hadn't missed the way Elena's eyes had been trained almost constantly on Morghan since they'd all arrived at dinner that night, or the way Tom and Theodore had zoned in on Martha and Ray. It was completely obvious to him that Seeley was completely taken with Temperance and there was no way he could have missed Katie and Owen getting together at the start of the movie. Tosh and Angela were happy together, Rhys and Mickey seemed to be enjoying single life, so that only really left him and Jack. As much as Ianto would like to believe that Jack was interested, particularly given the Canadian's recent behaviour toward him, Ianto couldn't push aside the nagging voice in his head that told him there was no way Jack could ever want him.

He sighed internally, his mental voice was probably right. Jack was perfect, what could the Canadian possibly see in him?

"Are you cold, Ianto?" Jack's voice broke through his thoughts.

"Yeah, I was thinking about going to get a blanket, until I remembered that they're all out here on the floor." Ianto replied.

He heard Jack chuckle quietly before the Canadian's arm slipped around him; pulling him close to Jack's remarkably warm body. The Canadian's hand began to glide up and down Ianto's arm and he immediately felt warmer (although that could have something to do with the blush that Ianto would bet was currently big enough to reach all the way to his feet).

"Better?" he heard Jack ask.

"Yeah," Ianto replied, extremely grateful that his voice didn't shake as he said it.

"Good," Jack replied quietly before turning his attention back to the movie.

Ianto tried his best to concentrate on the movie, but most of his attention was focused on how good it felt to be close to Jack like this. Did it mean anything or was Jack just being nice to the poor cold Welsh kid? Ianto yearned to lean his face against Jack's shoulder and get lost in the other man's wonderful scent, but if Jack was just being nice it could ruin the friendship that was building up between them and Ianto didn't like the thought of that.

So he stayed where he was; happy to be pressed up against Jack's marvelous body, feeling the Canadian's hand gently stroking his arm.

--

Back in their dorm after the movie was over, the girls bid each other goodnight before retiring to their rooms to sleep. Morghan slipped into bed and allowed her mind to drift to Elena. She was so beautiful with the alabaster skin, the bright blue eyes, the long, straight, black hair and that accent… Morghan sighed. There had been times that night when she could have sworn Elena was looking at her, but every time she turned to look at the young Russian her bright blue eyes were focused on the TV.

Morghan wondered what it would be like to hold her and kiss her and it was with these thoughts that she eventually drifted off to sleep. She wasn't sure how much later it was when she woke up to the sound of the door to her cupboard opening. She saw Ray slip in to her room before shutting the door quietly behind her. She watched as the other girl made her way over to Morghan's bed and slipped in beside her.

"Hey" she greeted quietly as Ray slid over to cuddle up to her.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you," Ray mumbled.

"That's okay, you know I don't mind," Morghan replied leaning up on her elbow to study the other girl. "What's wrong?" she asked.

Ray looked down. "Had a bad dream," she replied softly.

"What about?" Morghan asked.

"The last day I saw you before my parents moved us away, having to say goodbye." Ray looked back up at her and Morghan could see the tears sparkling in the taller girl's dark brown eyes.

She cast Ray an understanding look before lying back down and pulling the taller girl into her arms. "It's okay I'm here, those horrible six months are over," she whispered, gently stroking the other girl's hair.

"I missed you so much," Ray whispered.

"I missed you more," Morghan replied eliciting a chuckle from her friend.

"Did not," Ray retorted causing Morghan to chuckle back.

Morghan sighed. "We're so grown up,"

"Who wants to be grown up?" Ray argued.

"Good point." Morghan conceded.

They cuddled up together in silence for a few moments before Ray said.

"You know I think that Elena girl likes you, she barely took her eyes off you all night."

"Really?" Morghan's eyes lit up. "Do you think so?"

Ray laughed at her quietly. "Gee, I wonder if you like her," she replied sarcastically.

"Well what do you expect she's gorgeous," Morghan countered. "Besides, I think that Theodore boy has a thing for you."

Ray went silent for a moment. "Really?"

"Yeah really, what do you think of him?"

Ray shrugged. "We talked a bit at dinner, he seems really nice and he's cute."

Morghan nodded. "That he is. Are you going to do anything about it?"

"I'm not sure, do you think I should I mean I haven't dated anyone since asshole?"

Morghan laughed. "I don't see why not he seems nice enough."

"What about you?" Ray asked.

"I don't know mine's not so clear cut. If you ask him out the worst he can do is say no. If I ask Elena and she turns out to be straight…" Morghan trailed off.

"I don't think she'd be mean about it. She seemed happy for Angela and Tosh this afternoon and she doesn't seem at all phased about Ianto and Jack," Ray reasoned.

"Yeah, are they together or what?" Morghan asked.

"I asked Angela earlier and she said no but everyone's expecting it to happen." Ray replied.

"That's nice for them, I think they'd make a cute couple," Morghan said wistfully.

"Yeah so do I," Ray replied. "I think you and Elena would too, you should give it a shot."

Morghan grinned. "Maybe I will." She leant forward and gave Ray a gentle kiss on the top of her head. "Now go to sleep, we need to be up in a few hours."

They both moved around a little until they were comfortable before drifting off to sleep in each other's arms. It was good to be back at school.

--

Ianto had helped the others get everything packed up before retiring to his room for the night. As he slipped into bed his mind wandered back to the couch and how good it had felt to be pressed up against Jack's gorgeous body. Images of Jack naked and moaning came unbidden into Ianto's mind and he had to bite his lip to keep a very loud groan from escaping.

Jack was so damn beautiful; Ianto wanted him more than he'd ever wanted anyone or anything. In his mind he imagined what would have happened earlier that evening if he'd just tilted Jack's face down to his and kissed the beautiful Canadian long and hard. He imagined how Jack would have kissed him back with the same amount of force and their tongues would have ended up in a battle for dominance. Jack would have won in the end, but only because Ianto had let him, and they would have kissed each other into happy oblivion.

A knock on his door made him jump slightly and he opened his eyes wondering who it could possibly be. The knock sounded again and it was only then that Ianto realized it was his cupboard door not the main door, meaning the person on the other side of the door could only be Jack.

"Come in," he called quietly.

He watched Jack slip into the room, clad only in a pair of boxer shorts and shut the door quietly behind him. He sat up as Jack came closer to the bed and looked at the other boy curiously.

"What's wrong, Jack?" he asked barely above a whisper.

Jack stopped at the side of the bed and looked down at him, his face a mask of indecision. Just when Ianto was about to repeat the question Jack spoke.

"I can't do it anymore."

"Do what, Jack?" Ianto asked confused.

"I can't pretend that I…" he trailed off and looked away for a moment tears sparkling in his blue/gray eyes.

Ianto could only look on confused as Jack sighed and turned back to face him. His gaze locked with Jack's and it took everything in him not to gasp at what he saw within those blue/gray depths. Desire, lust and pain screamed at him and Ianto felt his heart begin to race in his chest.

"Oh, Jack." the words were barely above a whisper but he knew the Canadian had heard him.

They stared at each other for another few moments before Jack seized Ianto's face and pulled him in to a heart stopping kiss.

Ianto immediately kissed him back sliding his hands up into Jack's hair and pulling the Canadian boy closer. He moaned quietly as Jack's tongue slipped inside his mouth and he felt Jack kiss him harder in response.

Ianto slid one of his hands down Jack's back and slowly lay back down on the bed puling Jack with him. He groaned as he felt Jack's body press against his and he heard Jack growl in response, sending a surge of lust through his body.

Jack pulled back from his lips and began trailing kisses from Ianto's mouth, to his jaw, and down his neck.

"Oh, Jack," he gasped the other boy's name once more, sliding his fingers into Jack's hair and pulling gently on the short, spiky, brown strands. He heard Jack groan and the Canadian boy nipped at the skin where Ianto's neck joined his shoulder drawing another gasp from Ianto's lips.

Ianto was in heaven. He closed his eyes for a moment allowing himself to get lost in the feeling of Jack's hair sliding between his fingers and Jack's expert lips kissing their way down his body. He was so lost in sensation that he almost didn't hear the sound of his bedroom door opening. His eyes snapped open and what he saw made his blood run cold.

Standing in the door way leering at them was Justin.

Jack stopped kissing him and sat up, glaring at the new arrival. "Who the hell are you?" the Canadian demanded.

Justin didn't answer. Instead he strode over to the bed, ripped Jack away from Ianto and threw him across the room.

"Jack!" Ianto screamed, leaping out of bed and running over to where Jack lay slumped against a wall. A few moments later he felt Justin's hand close around the back of his neck and he felt himself being yanked to his feet. Justin threw him up against a wall and pressed his body painfully into Ianto's back.

"I told you that you were mine but you didn't listen to me," Justin snarled in his ear. "Now you'll both pay the price for your mistake!" he grabbed the back of Ianto's head and drove his face into the wall, hard! Ianto felt his body go limp and he fell to the floor, boneless. He then watched in horror as Justin slithered his way over to Jack.

"No!" he cried. "No leave him alone! Jack, Jack wake up! Jack – NO!"

Ianto's eyes shot open and he found himself lying in his bed in the dorm. Tears were streaming down his face, his heart beat was pounding in his ears and his breath was coming in short, panicked gasps. He searched wildly around the room for Justin and Jack and when he found no sign of either, he realized that he'd been dreaming.

He curled himself up into a ball, pulling his knees tight to his chest. His ribs protested the movement but he paid them no mind as his body shook with fear and tears continued to spill from his eyes. He sobbed quietly for a few minutes as his mind struggled to come to terms with the fact that what he'd just seen wasn't real.

When at last he'd calmed down enough to stop crying, he slipped out of bed, knowing that he'd never be able to get back to sleep after such a horrific nightmare. He moved over to his desk, switched on his computer and waited silently for it to boot up.

As soon as it finished, a message flashed up on the screen telling him he had Email. He opened his mail program and froze when Justin's name flashed up on the screen. He thought about just deleting it; particularly after the dream he'd just had. But once again he was reminded of how dangerous it was not knowing what Justin had to say. So he took a deep breath and clicked on the message.

'Hi there, Ianto, how's Australia going, nice and hot?

I've just come back from the shed where we spent our last night together and do you know what? There's still some of your blood on the back wall. Mmm that night was fun; listening to you screams echoing around the metal walls. It almost made me come just thinking about it. It was a good night, but nothing compared to what I'm going to do to you when I see you next. At first I was angry that you were going, but then I started to think about it and you not being here for a while has given me so much time to think and plan our next rendezvous. I won't go into too many details but to give you an idea of what to look forward to I will tell you this.

If you think I've made you scream in the past, wait until you see what I have planned for you next. I do believe I've outdone myself this time and you'll be very surprised. Just remember, you are mine Ianto, MINE!!! You are always going to be mine, and if you forget that, even for a moment, your punishment will be even more severe that what I already have planned. I look forward to you coming home to visit me in the holidays, I promise to have everything set up when you get here so we don't waste any time.

See you soon Ianto; give yourself a good hard slap on the ass for me.

Justin.'

Ianto's hands shook as he moved the mouse pointer over to the delete button and clicked, sending the Email into cyber oblivion. He felt cold and frightened and dirty. He shut the computer down and made his way in to the bathroom. Right at that moment he felt an overwhelming desire for a hot shower and a scrubbing brush.

Ianto scrubbed his body until he felt at least a little cleaner, then spent the next 10 minutes just standing under the hot spray of the shower letting it soak into his skin and burn away some of the horrible, cold feeling that had invaded his body. Once he was sure he couldn't get any warmer, he climbed out of the shower and began to dry himself off. As always the act of drying his skin was a challenge with his ribs protesting every move he made; but eventually he was dry. He threw on his warmest tracksuit and dried his hair as best he could before making his way out of the bathroom.

It was 3am, only a couple of hours before everyone would be up and since Ianto knew there was no way he'd get back to sleep now, he striped his bed, took all his and Jack's dirty clothes out of the hamper in their bathroom as well as all of Seeley and Owen's (since they hadn't locked the outer door to their bathroom) and made his way down to the dorm Laundromat. He probably didn't really need to wash his sheets just yet, but he wanted all reminders of that horrible nightmare gone and was suddenly very grateful that he'd chosen a different washing powder to bring with him than the one his step mother used back home.

--

It was almost five by the time Ianto finished ironing all the clothes he'd washed for himself and the others. All the bedroom doors had hooks on the outside as well as the inside for hanging things so he found some of the extra hangers he'd brought with him and hung each person's clothes on the outside of their door. He was just putting his clothes away in his cupboard when he heard the others emerging from their room. He finished what he was doing and headed back out into the common room.

"Morning…what?" he asked when he found himself faced with three very confused teenage boys.

"I don't recall reading anything about a washing fairy on the brochure this place sent us," Seeley commented with a raised eyebrow in Ianto's direction.

"Oh yeah sorry, I woke up really early this morning and couldn't get back to sleep so I went down to do my washing and figured I'd do everyone's while I was at it." He gave the rest of the group a thoughtful look before continuing. "That was probably something I should have asked the rest of you about first, but it was early and I wasn't really thinking clearly. Sorry, do you mind?" he asked.

"I sure as hell don't," Seeley replied. "I hate washing and ironing."

"I'm certainly not complaining either," Jack replied holding his hands up in a gesture of surrender.

They all turned to look at Owen who was studying his shirt intently.

"How did you get that annoying crease out of the front near the pocket?" he asked turning to look at Ianto with a raised eyebrow.

Jack and Seeley exchanged a look before moving over to study their shirts as well.

"Oh my god you really did!" Jack exclaimed.

"How the hell did you do that? I've been trying to get that crease out since they sent us our uniforms months ago!" Seeley asked.

They all turned curious eyes on Ianto who wanted nothing more at that moment than to disappear into the wall behind him. He couldn't exactly tell his new friends that Justin had used him as his own personal slave for the past decade, and if he made even the slightest mistake on something he was severely punished. Instead he changed the subject.

"Hey, shouldn't we be meeting the girls about now?" he asked making a beeline for the door. He couldn't see the curious glances his friends were sending his way but he definitely felt them.

"Ianto," Jack's voice stopped him before he could open the door and he cursed himself mentally for being so stupid. He should have just done his own laundry but he hadn't anticipated questions to accompany his actions. He schooled his expression into one of indifference and turned back to look at Jack. "The girls are going to be waiting for us," he reminded the other boy.

"I know it's just . . . thank you, for doing that." The Canadian motioned to the clothes hanging on his door.

"Yeah, thanks, Ianto," Seeley added.

"Thank you," Owen jumped in last.

Their words threw Ianto off balance for a moment. He wasn't used to being thanked for doing things like that; he was so used to it just being expected. He also realized that they all looked and sounded cautious, as if they knew that they'd hit a nerve and were sorry for it. He recovered from his surprise quickly and gave them all a friendly smile.

"You're welcome; it was no big deal really. We should go before the girls leave without us," he finished motioning to the door.

The others nodded and they headed out together to meet the girls.

Ianto could tell that the others were curious about why he'd reacted the way he had, but none of them questioned him about it for which he was grateful. They met the girls at the gate as usual and headed out for their run together, all the awkwardness of the morning quickly fading into the light of the early rising summer sun.

--

End of chapter 4. So what did we think??? Reviews aren't necessary but dearly loved, and help spur on the author to write more ;).Thanks for reading, have a great new year.

Kayla


	5. Classes, Interference and Confrontation

Hi all, another chapter is here for you. Firstly I want to say sorry if I replied to any of your reviews more than once. My internet was being a pain again and I don't know if any of them got through the first time so I had to do them again.

*******Anyway there are some things I need to explain before you read on so even if you don't normally read the author's notes at the start of a chapter please read these. Firstly since the school in my story is in Australia I've based it roughly on where I went to High School layout wise. In a lot of movies and shows I've watched in the past American schools seem to be very insular. One big building with lots of rooms lining the halls. I don't know if that's true for everywhere and I'm not sure about other countries, but over here a lot of our schools are very open and spread out. We have several blocks of classrooms and each block has a certain number of rooms in it that you enter through different sides of the building. So you might enter B1 through the front of the building and B2 through the side of the building and there will be a hall way through the middle joining all the rooms together in case you need to move between them. There are also cases where a block may be made up of several buildings with a courtyard between them like Gblock which is mentioned in this chapter. The science rooms I mention are a lot like the set up in Twilight for those who've seen it except that the desks seat 4 people. Finally IT stands for internet technology, most people will be aware of that but in case you're not there it is. Also HPE stands for health and physical education.**

That's all I think. **Thank you so much to all the lovely people who've reviewed and alerted/favourited my story. I love you all to bits :).**

**Special thanks as always go to Socalrose my incredible Beta. Thank you, honey you rock :)**

**Classes, Interference and Confrontation**

Breakfast was taken in the usual fashion; with the entire group sitting together in the same order as always. Of course there were the differences of Ray and Morghan's presence, as well as Angela and Tosh and Owen and Katie being all lovey-dovey and cutesy. But it was all positive and the group was all happy and excited about starting their first real school day.

After breakfast all the students congregated in the hall for the first assembly of the year before being dismissed to their first classes of the day. Ianto had biology along with, Martha, Temperance and Owen. Jack, Seeley, Morghan and Ray had chemistry, Tosh, Mickey, Rhys and Theodore had physics while Angela, Katie, Elena and Tom had astronomy.

The science classrooms were in G block so they all set off together. When they reached their block they stood together in the courtyard between the buildings talking, until they saw their teachers approaching the class rooms. They bid each other goodbye and split off to go to their own classrooms.

Ianto stood in line with the other three talking about the next movie night they were planning while the teacher unlocked the door of the class room. Just as they were about to walk in, Ianto looked across the courtyard at Jack and saw Gwen and Lisa standing in line not far behind him, staring at him and Seeley like love sick puppies. Jealousy burnt swiftly through Ianto and he glared angrily at the two harpies until he felt a tug on his arm and turned to find Martha looking at him expectantly.

"We're going in now, Ianto," she told him pulling him inside with her.

Ianto reluctantly followed her and once he was seated, he turned to look out the window and saw Jack and Seeley moving toward the door to their room, Gwen and Lisa hot on their trail.

Ianto was angry! He knew he had no right to be but he was. He hated the idea of Jack and Seeley being in a room with those two where he couldn't see what was going on.

"What are you looking at?" Temperance asked from beside him.

He glanced over to find her following his line of sight and knew immediately the moment she saw the answer to her question for herself. "Oh you have got to be kidding!" she snarled.

"Is there something interesting outside, students?" the teacher asked startling Ianto. He turned away from the window to find most of the female and quite a few of the male students looking in the same direction as himself and Temperance with dreamy smiles on their faces.

'Great! More competition.' Ianto mentally grumbled.

--

Morghan looked over at the biology classroom just in time to catch the angry glare on Ianto's face before Martha dragged him away. She followed the direction of his gaze and realized immediately what he'd been so annoyed about. Gwen and Lisa were standing just a few people behind their group and once again were staring at Jack and Seeley like they were pieces of meat.

'Oh my god, could they be any more obvious? More to the point could it be any more obvious that Jack and Seeley aren't at all interested in them? Who would be when they have Ianto and Temperance to chase after_?'_ Morghan thought.

Still, they were obviously annoying Ianto and since he was fast becoming a friend of hers, Morghan decided to take it upon herself to interfere with Lisa and Gwen's wishes as much as she could.

"Hey, isn't it good that there are four of us, we can all be lab partners," she informed the rest of her group.

Jack peered through one of the windows and nodded. "It is rather convenient isn't it?" He replied with a smile that Morghan was almost positive meant he knew exactly why she was mentioning it.

She smiled back and the four of them filed into the classroom.

Ray, being the first inside, secured them a desk and they all sat together just as Morghan had planned. Ray was on the outer edge followed by Morghan then Jack and Seeley meaning Lisa and Gwen would have to come through both girls before they could get anywhere near their prey.

Morghan flashed Ray a satisfied smirk before turning her attention to the front of the room. It was good to know you were helping your friends.

--

Lunchtime arrived swiftly and Ianto, who had just had math with Katie, Morghan, and Angela, walked out of the classroom to find Jack waiting for them along with Tosh, Owen and Elena.

He felt butterflies in his stomach as Jack looked over and flashed him a dazzling smile. Ianto smiled back shyly and made his way over to where the others were waiting.

He felt better knowing that Ray and Morghan were running interference for him during chemistry, it meant he didn't have to stress during biology anymore.

He was a little disturbed when Morghan originally mentioned being aware of his attraction to the gorgeous Canadian at the start of their math lesson. But she was quick to reassure him that she thought they'd make a great couple and would help him with the Gwen and Lisa problem whenever she could. Ianto was grateful. He had chatted to her quite a bit during that lesson and he was starting to really like her. She and Ray were lovely people just like the rest of the group he'd become attached to since he arrived in Australia.

The two groups met in the middle and began their walk over to the lunch building. The rest of the group met them at the door and they headed inside together, only to stop short when they saw that their table had been stolen by Lisa and Gwen.

The two girls in question smiled up at the group with faked sweetness before Gwen said, "If you want to sit at your table today you're going to have to sit with us."

Ianto quashed the surge of annoyance that rose within him when he saw that Gwen's statement had been directed straight at Jack.

The group exchanged a look before Morghan piped up with. "All right, who's for sitting outside today?"

There was a chorus of approval and the group headed over to the food section leaving a very disgruntled Gwen and Lisa in their wake.

--

As the group sat down together to eat Morghan noticed Theodore watching Ray just like he had the previous evening. A smile spread across her face as she turned around and grabbed Ray to whisper the new information into her ear.

She pulled back and Ray looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

"Are you serious?" she asked incredulously.

"Completely," Morghan replied.

Ray leaned just slightly to the side to see for herself and immediately pulled back, a bright blush spreading across her cheeks. "Oh my god, what should I do?" she asked quietly.

"Go over and talk to him," Morghan replied. "What's the worst that can happen?"

Ray gave her a look. "Don't say that - you'll jinx me!"

Morghan gave her a look of her own and motioned with her head in Theodore's direction. "Stop stalling and go."

"Fine, just remember this was your idea and if it goes badly I'm blaming you," Ray warned.

"Ooh I'm so scared," Morghan replied with a grin.

Ray scowled at her before standing up and making her way over to where Theodore was sitting with Mickey and Rhys.

Morghan watched as she dropped down beside him and they started chatting, slightly uncomfortably at first but quickly getting used to each other. Morghan felt a smile spread across her face at the sight of her best friend talking and laughing with a boy. It had been ages since Ray's breakup with Nicholas and she hadn't been at all interested in a single guy until she'd met Theodore the previous day. Morghan hoped he was a good guy. He seemed to be but who could tell. Ray needed a good guy for once.

With her friend occupied Morghan's attention turned to where Elena was sitting, not far away, talking to Owen. Taking a deep breath Morghan got up and made her way over to them.

"Hi, do you mind if I sit over here with you?" she asked.

Elena appeared to be in shock at her sudden appearance so it was Owen that replied, "No not at all."

Morghan thanked them and sat down beside Elena who seemed to have finally managed to get over her shock and said hello. Morghan gave the other girl her most dazzling smile before asking how her day was going.

"Good," Elena replied. "I've had astronomy, and math so far, how about you?"

"Not too bad, had chemistry this morning then math as well. I'm not a particularly big fan of math I have to admit; it's far from being my strong suit," Morghan replied.

Elena laughed. "I'm not exactly thrilled with it myself, but then again you won't find many in the population that are," she said.

Morghan laughed back. "No you certainly won't. What do you have after lunch?"

"English, how about you?" Elena asked.

"Same, which room are you in?" Morghan asked in return.

"B3, I think." Elena dug through her bag until she found her time table and took it out to have a look. "Uh yeah B3."

"Oh, we'll be together then," Morghan informed her with a bright smile. "I'm in B3 too."

A bright smile immediately spread across Elena's face at Morghan's words. "Really? That'll be nice," she replied happily.

Morghan felt a thrill pulse through her at how happy Elena seemed with the arrangement. "I think so too," she agreed.

The pair shared a smile for a moment before the class bell rang interrupting their moment.

"Who's got English in B3?" Morghan heard Angela call out.

She and Elena called out an affirmative along with Tosh, Ianto and Jack.

"Great let's go," Angela announced, jumping to her feet before pulling Tosh up with her.

--

As the group made their way to English Ianto couldn't help but smile; a class with Jack – a nice surprise. As they reached the centre of B block they began to separate into their class groups and head off in the direction of their rooms. It was only then that Ianto really noticed the irony of how they'd all been split up for English.

He was with Jack, Angela was with Tosh, Elena was with Morghan, Temperance was with Seeley, Owen was with Katie, Tom was with Martha and Theodore was with Ray. "Ha, that's weird."

He didn't realize he'd said it out loud until he heard Jack ask him what was weird. Bugger! He couldn't exactly tell Jack the truth because then he'd have to explain why he'd put them into that category, so he thought of something as quickly as he could.

"Oh, I was just thinking of how weird it was that we all have English at the same time and in the same block." Yeah, that sounded good enough.

"Really? I thought you might have been noticing that they put all the couples in the same English classes like I was," Angela threw in.

"They really have haven't they?" Ianto heard Jack add from beside him and a blush immediately spread across his face. He looked down hoping to hide it from the Canadian, but as always Jack noticed that something wasn't quite normal.

"Are you all right, Ianto?" Jack asked causing the others to look over at him too.

"Fine," Ianto replied without looking up. He could feel eyes boring into him but he refused to raise his gaze. He knew Morghan and Ray were aware of his attraction to Jack, but he wasn't sure who else knew and the last thing he wanted was Angela suddenly realizing and blurting it out for the entire world to hear. Not that he thought she was a snitch or anything of the sort; some people just tended to act without thinking when something surprised them.

They reached the door to their room just as the teacher did which turned the attention away from him. Well, that wasn't entirely true; Jack's attention was still firmly focused on him. They found a row of seats together near the middle of the room and sat down, with Jack at one end and Elena at the other.

As the teacher started talking Ianto felt Jack lean a little closer to him and whisper, "Are you sure you're okay?"

Ianto felt a rush of warmth flow through him at the concern in Jack's voice and a smile spread across his face before he even felt it forming. "Yeah, Jack, I'm just fine," he replied softly, lifting his eyes to meet the Canadian's.

Jack smiled back at him and Ianto felt the other boy's hand gently touch his under the table. "Good," Jack responded just as quietly.

--

The rest of the day flew by with Ianto discovering that he had two more classes with Jack; Spanish and ancient history. The only lesson he hadn't had that day was IT which he discovered he had while Jack had HPE. Their class had been given their first assignment for English already, so once Spanish was finished they headed over to the library. Elena, Morghan, Tosh and Angela met them at the door and they headed in together to work on their assignments.

Ianto found a book; the computer indicated it was up on level two. After informing the others he was going upstairs for a second, he made his way up the stairs and over to the aisle he needed.

The sound of girls giggling in a nearby aisle didn't even register as important to him until he heard one of the voices ask.

"What you mean Jack, the new boy?"

"Yeah, that's him." He recognised the voice immediately as Gwen's and stopped to listen.

"Oh my god he's such a fox!" Another voice exclaimed.

"I know he is and he's all mine," Gwen claimed.

Ianto felt a mixture of annoyance and jealousy at Gwen's words. What gave her the idea that Jack was hers? What made her think she had any right to him at all?

"But hang on, isn't Jack with that other boy, Ianto?" he heard a voice ask and felt a thrill go through him at the idea of other people thinking they were together.

"Oh no, Jack and Ianto aren't together. Jack told me that they aren't even friends, he just felt sorry for Ianto when they first met so he hung out with him for a bit and now he can't get him to go away," Gwen replied. "I mean come on, what could he possibly see in Ianto? He's so plain and boring and nowhere near as pretty as me."

A cold, sick feeling washed over Ianto. Was that what Jack really thought of him?

"Really, when did Jack tell you that?" another voice asked.

"At second lunch; I ran into him while he was on his way to his locker and Ianto wasn't with him. He told me that Ianto was driving him nuts but he didn't know how to tell him and then he asked me out," Gwen replied and Ianto could hear the sly smile in her voice.

That cold, sick feeling intensified as Ianto thought back to second lunch and remembered that Jack had gone back to his locker for something while the others went ahead to the lunch area. He could easily have had time to run into Gwen and . . . Ianto couldn't even finish the thought process. Tears pricked at his eyes as he thought about how stupid he'd been to believe, even for a second, that Jack could ever want him. Shaking his head at his own stupidity he turned around intending to walk back downstairs, get his stuff and go and hide in his room for the next few days.

"Oh did I now?" the sound of Jack's voice made him freeze.

"Oh, hi, Jack," Ianto heard Gwen greet the Canadian nervously. "How's your afternoon going?"

"It was going fine until I came up here and heard you gossiping about me behind my back. Hello, ladies how are you all?" Jack asked.

Ianto heard the rest of the girls say hello back before Jack continued.

"Ladies, I feel it important to inform you that Miss Gwen over here is lying to you. I have never asked her out, nor am I ever intending to because backstabbing liars aren't on my list of people I like to hang out with. More importantly than this however, is the fact that I have never and would never refer to Ianto as plain, boring, or any other similar adjective. Ianto is my friend, I am in no way sick of him; in fact if Gwen had bothered to pay any attention to us at all she would have noticed that I do everything possible to keep him close to me.

Ianto is beautiful, not just in appearance but in his personality, in the way he treats others and all the ways that a liar like you, Gwen, will never be. You have no right to speak about him like you just did!" Jack finished angrily.

There was silence for a moment before one of the other girls finally spoke up. "So does this mean that you and Ianto are together?" she asked.

"That's between me and Ianto. But if you're asking me because you're interested yourself, I'll tell you right now, don't waste your time," Jack replied in a much gentler manner than the one he'd just used to address Gwen. "Anyway, lovely talking to you all, I have somewhere to be. Gwen, stop spreading rumours about me; it's pathetic and it's never going to happen. See ya."

Ianto lowered himself down to the floor and allowed himself a moment to process everything that had just happened. Gwen had been lying, Jack wanted to be his friend and he thought Ianto was beautiful. He should be happy and he knew it; but Gwen's words still hung around in his head, taunting him because he knew they were true. He was plain and he knew it, he would never be good enough for someone as perfect as Jack no matter how much he wished he were.

He barely registered the movement to his right as someone joined him in the aisle. However, when that person slid down to the floor beside him and wrapped a gentle arm around his shoulders, he couldn't ignore them anymore.

He looked over and found himself face to face with Tosh.

"She's wrong you know, everything she said," Tosh said quietly.

Ianto shook his head and looked down as the tears bit at his eyes once more. "No she's not; she's right about all of it. I am plain and boring, what could someone like Jack ever see in me?"

"I thought Jack just answered that question for you," Tosh replied.

"He was just being nice," Ianto countered. "Because that's what he is; nice, lovely – perfect. I'll never be good enough for him and there's no point pretending otherwise."

"Do you honestly think that? That there's nothing Jack could ever possibly see in you?" Tosh asked.

"Don't you?" Ianto asked in return.

"No, I don't. I did however think that about me until Angela asked me out. Do you know she almost didn't because she thought I wasn't interested?" Tosh asked.

Ianto shook his head. "No I didn't know that," he replied.

"Do you think I'm plain and boring, Ianto?" Tosh asked.

"No, god no, not at all!" Ianto replied slightly louder than he'd intended.

"And neither are you! Jack's right, Ianto, you're gorgeous. If I wasn't so taken with Angela it would be you. Everyone adores you, the whole group, Jack included. You're the only one who can't see it," Tosh argued. "Look we've only just met, but it's obvious, to all of us, that Jack is completely taken with you and before you argue with me let me remind you of what Jack said just now about how he's constantly trying to keep you close to him. He wouldn't be doing that if he wasn't so in to you."

Ianto looked down again, not quite sure whether to believe her or not.

"You need to have some confidence in yourself, Ianto. You're a great guy, anyone would be lucky to have you." Tosh continued.

"If Jack likes me as much as you think how come he hasn't said anything to me about it?" Ianto asked lifting his eyes to meet hers.

"Maybe he doesn't know whether or not you're interested and he's testing the waters a little to find out before he says anything. I saw him slip his arm around you last night while we were watching the movie, doesn't that tell you something?" Tosh asked.

"Yeah, that I was cold and he was trying to warm me up, he was just being nice," Ianto replied.

Tosh gave him a look. "How many guys do you see who put their arms around another guy to warm them up? None, not unless they're interested in the guy; girls sure, we do it all the time, but not guys. If he was just being nice he would have gone into your room or his and found you a jumper or something. He's into you, Ianto – accept it."

"I wish I could," Ianto replied quietly, looking down at his hands. "I want to believe the things he does mean something, I really do. Sometimes I even get my wish and for a few moments I truly believe that it's possible. Then the little voice in the back of my head reminds me that I'm nowhere near good enough for him. I heard what he said to those girls about me and I want to believe him I really do, but it's one small shining moment shoved into the middle of lots of bad. The insults, the put downs, there have been so many more of them in my life than compliments and they're so much easier to believe. I wish they weren't but they are."

Tosh reached across and took his hand gently in hers. "I understand what you mean, believe me. But whoever it was that made you feel this way about yourself, whatever they said they were wrong. You can't let your past rule your life, you'll miss out on so much if you do. Ianto, look at me."

Ianto did as he was told.

"You are beautiful! It may not be easy for you to believe but you are. Don't let anyone stop you from getting what you want; you deserve to be happy."

Ianto gave her a soft smile. "Thank you, Tosh. I promise I'll try."

She smiled back. "Good. Now come on, we'd better get back downstairs before Jack comes looking for you."

--

That night as Ianto lay in bed, he thought over the day's events. His classes with Jack, that moment in English, what Gwen said in the library, Jack's reply, and finally Tosh's words. He didn't want to let Justin rule his life anymore. He'd had enough of it for the past several years, but he didn't know how to get the other boy out of his head. It didn't help that Justin kept writing him emails and that Ianto kept having nightmares about him.

Memories of the previous evening flew unbidden into his head and he shuddered involuntarily. The dream had started out so lovely, why couldn't it have just stayed that way? If Ianto had been more confident in himself he might have gone into Jack's room and asked if the Canadian would be open to helping him create a happier ending for that dream. But of course he wasn't.

He signed and buried his head under the covers. It didn't matter anyway. No matter what Tosh said Jack could never be interested in someone like Ianto. He was just a nice guy being friendly to the poor, plain, Welsh kid. It didn't mean anything; no matter how much Ianto might wish it did.

--

End of chapter 5

So what did we think??? Wasn't Gwen mean?? What did we think of Jack's reply??? Reviews aren't necessary but I am a little addicted to them and I need my fix LOL. No, joking aside, you don't have to review but I really really love it when you do :). Have a great day.

Kayla


	6. Ban Bags, Pirates and a Coffeemaker

Hi everybody, did you miss me??? Here I am with a new chapter I hope you're all happy to see me :)~. Anyway I'm not going to say too much up here except to explain one minor detail. My Beta mentioned that every bean bag she's ever come across has been full of beans and zipped up already. I don't know what it's like everywhere else but over here we buy our bean bags folded up in a bag and the beans to fill it with separately. So since the story is taking place over here that's how I've written it. Oh and I will warn you the story has jumped a month ahead in this chapter so a few things have changed sine the last chapter.

**Big thanks as always go to Socalrose my wonderful Beta she's so awesome!! If you haven't read her stuff go and look her up it's really good.**

**Also a big thank you to everyone who's reviewed I'm sorry I haven't gotten to reply to all your wonderful words and feedback but please believe me when I tell you they're all appreciated and I will reply to you all as soon as I can. I've been sucked into writing mode all week and haven't been able to look away from my story but I figured you wouldn't mind too much since it means you'll get more story quicker. Love you all lots and lots XXXOOO!!!**

Kayla

**Bean Bags, Pirates and a Coffeemaker.**

Ianto sat at the breakfast table staring at his pancakes and wishing like hell the plate they were on would suddenly grow arms and start feeding them to him. He was tired, no scratch that, he was exhausted! He'd been at the school for a month now and the class schedules had been hectic. He had three papers due today which he'd been working on for weeks, piles of homework every night, washing to do several times a week as well as ironing every day. This would normally have been no bother to him except that between his dreams about Jack and his nightmares about Justin he'd barely had any sleep since he'd arrived.

It didn't help that Justin sent him an Email every week reminding Ianto that he was his. The one he'd received the previous night before he went to sleep had been the most violent and unpleasant yet and Ianto's nightmare had matched it. He'd woken up at 2:30am shaking and drenched in sweat, he was surprised he hadn't been screaming. Of course he couldn't go back to sleep after that and his sheets definitely needed a wash so he'd made another early morning trip to the Laundromat.

Now he was exhausted and he just wanted this day to be over so he could go back to his room and crawl back into bed for whatever sleep his mind would allow him to have. Except he couldn't do that this afternoon; the group had organised their second movie night for tonight and he'd promised Jack, Morghan and Ray that he'd go shopping with them for supplies after school.

Ianto groaned internally and pushed his breakfast away so he could rest his elbows on the table and his head in his hands. He was too tired to be hungry anyway.

"Are you all right, Ianto?" The sound of Jack's voice asking that question from beside him brought a warm smile to Ianto's face despite his extreme fatigue, and he turned his head slightly to give the Canadian a tired smile.

"You know you spend way too much time asking me that," he mumbled.

A hint of worry jumped into Jack's eyes and Ianto regretted the words immediately.

"I'm sorry," the other boy said quietly looking down at his hands.

Ianto could almost see the warm Canadian withdrawing from him, and without thinking he reached out and placed one of his hands gently on one of Jack's. "I didn't mean it in a bad way, Jack. It's nice the way you're always looking out for me; I . . . I like it. What I meant was you're always the one checking up on me and I've yet to return the favour. You always look so together and fine and . . . am I making any sense? Because I am far too tired to tell and the last thing I want to do is upset you because I like you, a lot."

Jack gave him one of the loveliest smiles he'd ever seen and placed his free hand over Ianto's. "Yeah, you're making sense don't worry," he replied softly. "I was a little concerned at first that I might have been annoying you but I get what you're saying now."

Ianto smiled back sleepily. "I'd move my other hand over there too but it's the only thing holding my head up," He mumbled.

Jack cracked up at Ianto's comment and gave the hand under his a gentle squeeze. "That's okay, I wouldn't want to steal it away from such an important job; it can stay there. Are you really okay though? I mean I get you're tired but this seems a little excessive."

"I'm fine, Jack, just didn't sleep well last night," he assured the Canadian. "How are you?" he asked in return.

"I'm fine thanks. A little sleepy, but only because I had one of those really vivid, detailed dreams last night – you know the ones where everything seems completely real and even when you wake up you have a hard time convincing yourself it was a dream?" Jack asked.

Ianto nodded resisting the urge to shudder, he knew those sorts of dreams all too well. Images of Ianto's most recent nightmare were starting to overtake his sleep deprived brain so he distracted himself by asking Jack what his dream had been about.

"Oh, just . . . stuff," the Canadian replied vaguely. "Good stuff though so I didn't mind waking up a little tired this morning. What about you, did you dream about anything good last night?"

Ianto was struggling to think of something to say when a large, brown take away coffee cup suddenly appeared in front of his nose and Jack's question immediately vanished from his mind.

"I thought we might all need one of these this morning," he heard Morghan's voice announce as a whole tray of similar coffee cups was suddenly placed on the table. There was a general chorus of 'thank you' from the rest of the group and Ianto looked up at Morghan with an appreciative smile.

"You are a goddess, Morghan, thank you," he said reaching for the cup she'd placed in front of him.

Morghan smiled back at him. "Believe me you're welcome," she replied taking a sip of her own.

Ianto took a sip of the wondrous hot beverage and sighed happily. The way he made it was better but this was definitely good. It was so good to have caffeine-addicted friends right now.

--

Because it had been so long since Ianto had had a decent cup of coffee, the cup that Morghan bought him that morning miraculously kept him going until the end of classes that day. As soon as they were finished, Ianto and Jack headed over to meet Morghan and Ray in the car park.

Morghan stopped on the way to get Ianto another cup of coffee so he was nice and awake by the time they reached the shopping centre. Morghan and Ray headed over to Woolworths for junk food and drinks while Jack and Ianto headed over to Target to buy bean bags, cushions and blankets (the last two were Ianto's additions to their shopping list since it was going to start getting cold soon). They found what they wanted almost immediately and quickly filled the trolley with lounge room supplies and several bags of beans (since bean bags were kind of useless without them).

They were heading over to the register to pay for everything when Ianto spotted it out of the corner of his eye; a coffeemaker, red, silver and gleaming in the fluorescent light of the shop fittings. He wanted it, badly.

"What's got your attention there, Ianto?" Jack asked making his way back over to where Ianto had stopped.

Ianto pointed at the coffeemaker and Jack chuckled.

"I should have known. It would go really well in our room don't you think?"

Before Ianto could answer Jack had picked one up and slid it into the trolley.

"What are you doing?" Ianto asked alarmed.

"I'm buying you the coffeemaker," Jack replied pushing the trolleys toward the counter once more.

"But, Jack it's expensive," Ianto argued chasing after him.

"Is it?" Jack asked looking at the price tag on the box and shrugging. "If you say so."

"What do you mean if I say so? It's $350, Jack!" Ianto argued once more.

"And?" Jack asked.

"And it's a lot of money," Ianto replied.

Jack flashed him a cheeky grin. "Not for me it's not. Didn't I mention I'm rich?" he asked pushing the trolley up to the end of the closest line.

"Are you serious?" Ianto asked moving to stand behind him in the line.

"Absolutely, you sound so surprised," Jack noted.

"Well, I had an inkling when we first met and you said your parents wanted you to run their business when you finish school, but you don't come across as a rich kid so I wasn't sure. I'm sorry if this sounds stereotypical but most rich kids are brats." Ianto replied.

"Who says I'm not?" Jack asked cheekily.

Ianto raised an eyebrow at him. "Brats don't share, Jack and they don't buy other people gifts."

"Are you saying I should be more unpleasant?" Jack asked, the grin still firmly in place.

"No, I'm saying you're not a brat and that's a good thing, I like you the way you are. But you don't have to buy me the coffeemaker, I don't really need it," Ianto replied.

Jack moved to stand in front of Ianto so there was barely an inch between them and gave him a warm smile. "True, but you want it and I want to get it for you, so please let me," he asked quietly. "Like you said I'm not a brat and I like to share with people who matter to me. Let me do something nice for you, you deserve it."

"But you're always nice to me, Jack. You're always looking out for me and checking up on me, making sure I'm okay. I never get to do anything for you," Ianto argued.

Jack took a deep breath and reached forward to take Ianto's hands in his and said, "You do more for me every day than you will probably ever know, Ianto Jones." His voice was barely louder than a whisper and it sent tingles down Ianto's spine.

Ianto stared into the Canadian's bright blue/gray eyes, wanting so desperately to just lean forward and kiss those perfect lips.

"Next please." The cashier's voice broke through their moment and Jack turned to face her with a grin.

"Sorry about that," he apologised making his way down to the checkout.

Ianto took a moment to collect himself and followed. Before he could say anything Jack lifted the coffeemaker up onto the counter for the sales assistant to scan. Jack then cast him a cheeky grin and put it back into the trolley before pulling out the other things they had to buy.

Ianto could only shake his head at the gorgeous Canadian. It was a lovely gesture but it was completely unnecessary. Still, if it made Jack happy to do it Ianto wasn't going to argue. He could use the coffeemaker to make some of his infamous coffee for Jack as a way of saying thank you for all the times Jack had looked out for him since they'd met.

The sales assistant tallied up the cost and while the bill was substantial, Jack barely batted an eyelid as he handed over his credit card. Once it was all finalised they headed back to the car to wait for Morghan and Ray.

--

As soon as they arrived back at the dorm, Jack and Ianto, along with Seeley and Owen got the room set up for the movie night. Once they were done, Jack insisted on helping Ianto set up his new toy. All four of the room's occupants gazed fondly at the newest addition to their residence but agreed to lay off the caffeine until the following morning since they wanted to actually sleep tonight.

Dinner went quickly and soon they were all gathered together in the boys' dorm room ready to watch the movie. The setup was similar to last time except Tom and Martha had become an item since the last movie night, and so had Ray and Theodore so each couple curled up on a bean bag. Owen and Katie took the third bean bag and Angela and Tosh took the fourth. Elena, Morghan and Mickey ended up on the two-seater couch while Jack, Ianto, Temperance and Seeley once again claimed the four-seater and Rhys took the single.

Everyone got comfortable and the movie began. This time, Jack didn't wait for it to get cold before his arm slid around Ianto's shoulders and pulled him close – Ianto certainly didn't mind.

Unfortunately the last few weeks had really taken it out of him and before the movie was even halfway through he felt himself drifting off to sleep in Jack's warm arms.

He wasn't sure how much later it was when he woke up, but the first thing he noticed was he hadn't dreamed at all. The second thing he noticed was all eyes in the room were focused on him and lastly, he noticed the way his body was almost completely curled around Jack's, his arms wrapped tightly around the Canadian's waist.

Ianto felt a blush creeping up into his cheeks and his eyes widened in shock as he realized why they were all staring at him. He immediately released Jack and jumped back as far as he could on the couch, grateful that his ribs had had time to heal over the last month and they only hurt him a little.

"I'm sorry I . . ." he trailed off looking up at Jack who was looking back at him with a mixture of concern and puzzlement. "I'm sorry," he said again before leaping off the couch and disappearing into his room as fast as he could.

"Ianto wait," Jack called after him but he threw the door shut and locked it behind him. What had he been thinking? Allowing himself to fall asleep on the other boy like that, what the hell was wrong with him?"

He sank slowly to the floor and buried his face in his hands as the tears began to flow. They must all think him a complete moron now – how could he have been so thoughtless?

--

Tosh watched the whole scene unfold, an unhappy expression on her face. She told them they should go back to their rooms and let Jack wake Ianto up after everyone else had gone but noooo! They'd all stared at the young Welshman and he woke up and freaked out just like she knew he would. Yes they might all think it was cute and Ianto and Jack were good together, but she'd told them this would happen – why didn't they listen to her?

She turned to look at Jack just in time to catch the hurt that flickered through his eyes before he schooled his expression and suggested everyone go home. He must be thinking Ianto was ashamed of the others thinking they were together; she had to make sure he knew the truth. She hadn't planned to tell Jack about that day in the library, but it looked like she was going to have to if there was to be any chance of Jack and Ianto's relationship working out.

The others muttered quiet apologies before gathering their stuff together and heading for the door. Angela stopped at the door when she got there and held her hand out to Tosh, but Tosh shook her head to indicate that the other girl should go ahead without her. Angela nodded in understanding and headed out.

The rest of the group followed her along with Seeley and Owen who'd decided to walk the girls back to their dorm, obviously understanding that Jack needed a moment alone.

As soon as the door closed, Tosh slipped down onto the couch beside Jack, reaching across to place a gentle hand on his.

He looked up startled, having apparently not noticed her presence until she touched him. "Tosh, why didn't you go with the others, you shouldn't be walking home by yourself," he asked obviously concerned.

"There's something you need to know," she said quietly.

Jack gave her a look that mixed curiosity with concern. "What?" he asked just as quietly.

"Ianto heard what Gwen said about him that afternoon in the library and he believed it," she replied.

Jack's eyes narrowed, his expression becoming a mixture of anger and worry. "What?" he asked again.

"He was a few aisles from her and her group looking for a book," Tosh explained. "He heard every word and so did I."

"But, he must have heard what I said back then?" Jack asked.

Tosh nodded. "He did, I just don't think he quite believes it. Jack, someone's hurt him. I don't know who or how, but he said that he's heard the sort of things Gwen was saying before and he's heard them a lot. I tried to tell him that you meant what you said, but he told me that it's one nice thing in a mountain of bad and the bad is a lot easier to believe."

Jack looked away but not before Tosh saw the sadness flicker through his eyes. "How can he think those things about himself when he's so beautiful?" he asked barely above a whisper.

Tosh shrugged her shoulders. "I'm not sure, but victims of abuse are often like that, they can't see anything good about themselves because they're always being put down." Tosh explained.

Jack's body tensed his face angry again. "How could anyone hurt Ianto? I mean who could possibly be heartless enough to do something like that to him?" Jack asked.

Tosh shook her head. "I don't know; if I ever met them I'd happily kill them where they stood but I doubt we'll ever find out. What matters right now is this; Ianto really likes you, Jack but he doesn't think he's good enough for you and nothing I could say to him would make him think differently. I know you like him, hell we all see it, but he doesn't. He thinks you're just being nice to him and considering what he said about his past it's not all that surprising."

The sadness was back in Jack's eyes and he looked away from Tosh once more. "No it's really not," he mumbled sadly.

Tosh squeezed his hand reassuringly. "But, he does really like you and at least now you know for sure right?" she asked as brightly as she could considering their topic of conversation.

Jack gave her a weak smile. "Yeah, I guess there's that," he replied.

They sat in silence for a moment before Tosh spoke again. "Listen, I know you probably don't need my advice but I'm going to give it to you anyway okay?" she asked.

Jack nodded.

"If you do want Ianto like I think you do, you're going to have to make it exceedingly clear, but still tread carefully – know what I mean?" she asked shooting Jack a questioning look.

"Yes I do and I will. I noticed the pain he was in the first day at the table, but I wasn't sure where it came from so I've been trying to tread carefully so I don't scare him off. I guess I've been treading too carefully but I really thought he was starting to warm up to me, you know. We had a nice time out shopping this afternoon and then when we were watching the movie he started to cuddle into me. I thought . . ." he trailed off and looked down, shaking his head. "Then he woke up and ran away and I thought I'd been reading him completely wrong this whole time and it hurt, Tosh, a lot more than I thought it would."

Tosh nodded. "I know; I saw the look on your face when it happened. You do understand now though right?" she asked.

Nodding Jack said, "Yeah I do. Thanks for explaining it to me, I . . . well I'd like to say I feel better but knowing for certain Ianto's been hurt isn't a good thing."

"No it's not. What are you going to do?" she asked.

Jack looked at her thoughtfully for a moment. "I'm going to talk to him," he replied. "I'm pretty sure he's locked himself in for tonight otherwise I'd be in there now, but I'll try tomorrow," he decided.

"Good." She looked thoughtfully at Jack for a moment before saying. "I really think you guys would be great together, so," she leaned across to kiss Jack softly on the cheek. "For luck. Goodnight Jack." She gave him a friendly smile before standing up and making her way to the door.

"Thank you, Tosh" Jack called as she reached the door.

"You're welcome; just promise me you'll take care of him." She turned back to face the Canadian knowing he would read the feelings in her eyes for what they were. She cared for Ianto, a lot, she hadn't been lying when she'd told Ianto if it weren't for Angela it would be him. She loved Angela more than anything and she had for a long time, but she'd grown to care a great deal for Ianto since they'd met just over a month ago, and she wouldn't stand idly by and watch someone hurt him.

She saw the moment Jack realized what she was saying, the look on his face was priceless. Once he'd gotten over his initial shock he schooled his expression and nodded. "I will, I promise," he replied sincerely.

She nodded in return and gave him another friendly smile before slipping out into the corridor. She nearly bumped into Owen and Seeley who were waiting outside for her.

"Is everything okay?" Seeley asked.

"Not at the moment, but I think it will be eventually," she replied heading down the corridor toward the door.

Owen and Seeley walked Tosh to her dorm room and bid her goodnight before heading back to their own. She walked inside to find the common room devoid of life and headed for her room shutting the main light off behind her. She opened her door to find Angela sitting on her bed waiting for her.

"How are they?" she asked once Tosh had shut the door behind her.

"We'll have to wait and see, but I think everything's going to be okay eventually," Tosh replied.

Angela nodded. "Good." The pair shared a look for a few moments before Angela slid off the bed and made her way over to where Tosh was standing. As soon as she was close enough, she brought her hands up to Tosh's face and kissed her.

A warm, delicious heat flowed through Tosh as she slid her hands up into Angela's hair and kissed her back.

"I love you." Angela whispered as the kiss ended.

Tosh froze, had she really just heard that?

Before she could ask, Angela took her hand and kissed it softly. "I'm sorry if you weren't ready to hear that but I've wanted to tell you for a while and, well, after tonight and everything that happened, I didn't want to wait anymore," she said quietly.

"Oh," Tosh replied quietly, still rather in shock. She hadn't been expecting Angela to say those words for a long time yet – not that she was complaining. She suddenly realized that she needed to respond and she leaned forward to kiss Angela once more.

This time when they broke apart Tosh smiled at the other girl and whispered, "I love you too, so much."

Angela's eyes lit up like stars and she threw her arms around Tosh holding her tightly.

Tosh hugged her back, the smile never leaving her face. She was still worried about Ianto and Jack, but it was nice to have something to smile about after such a stressful week.

--

End of chapter 6

So what did we think? I promise to reply to reviews faster this time if you send them :) _hint hint_. Have a great day I love you all.

Kayla


	7. Confessions

Hello everyone I'm back again!!! Once more I've been very slack and not gotten around to replying to your lovely reviews. Believe me I appreciate them more than you can imagine and I promise to reply to them all personally tomorrow (well officially it'll be today it's currently 12:50am here but you get what I mean). I was going to just go to bed but this came back from the Beta and I knew how much you 'd all want the update so here it it. I hope you enjoy it and sorry for the lateness of review replies once again.

Big thanks go to Socalrose my eternally lovely beta for being wonderful as always.

I really hope you like this chapter, it's my personal favourite so far and you'll see why soon. Please review I need them to feed my addiction LOL.

**Confessions at a Lookout can Change Your Life**

Ianto opened his eyes the following morning and groaned into his pillow as memories of the previous night immediately came flooding back to him. God he was an idiot! There was no way he'd be able to leave his room today; he couldn't handle talking to anyone. With a heavy sigh he threw off the covers and made his way over to the bathroom door to listen for any signs of movement. When he didn't hear any he crept into the room, locking the door behind him.

With a sigh he turned on the water and waited for it to get hot. At least there was one upside to the previous night; he hadn't dreamt about Justin, he'd been too busy dreaming about embarrassing himself. As soon as he was clean, dry and dressed, he made his way back into his bedroom and over to his door to listen for signs of life.

It was breakfast time and he couldn't hear voices or the sound of anyone moving around in the common room, so he opened the door a crack and checked. After finding out for sure that the coast was clear he made his way out into the common room to make himself a cup of tea. He really wanted coffee but since Jack had bought him the coffee maker he couldn't bring himself to use it.

While the kettle was boiling Ianto turned back to look at his bedroom and froze when he saw a note stuck to the outside of the door. Timidly he made his way over to the door and pulled the note off before reading.

'_We've gone to breakfast, please come down and join us._

_Jack.__'_

Ianto shook his head and folded the note up, slipping it into his pocket. There was Jack being nice to him again when he shouldn't have to be. The kettle boiled and he made his cup of tea before disappearing back into his room closing the door behind him. He sat down at the computer and turned it on before opening up the note and reading it again. Jack had really nice hand writing. He knew it was probably pathetic but he used a piece of bluetack to stick it to his desk so he could keep looking at it before turning back to the computer screen.

A message flashed up saying that he had email and he opened the program to find several from his friends back home since he hadn't checked it in a few days. He sat there reading them for a while chuckling at some of the silly things they'd been doing since he'd been gone. He replied to them all as he went, not paying attention to what was below his eye level which was why Justin's email caught him by surprise.

There were pictures of some kind of implement which looked like it was designed for a torture chamber with the words, _'Waiting for you' _written beneath them. If he'd had a chance to prepare himself mentally for one of Justin's emails he might have reacted better but unfortunately he hadn't.

Fear gripped him like a cold, taloned claw, his entire body started to shake and it took everything in him not to run to the bathroom and throw up. He felt himself getting faint and he immediately deleted the email and slipped off the chair onto the floor, curling himself up into a ball. He lay there for a few minutes fighting to get his body back under control.

Tears sprang to his eyes as he realized what he really wanted right now was Jack. He wanted to crawl into those strong, warm arms and get lost in the gorgeous scent which surrounded the Canadian everywhere he went. He wanted Jack so badly but he knew he couldn't have him. Jack must think him a complete idiot after last night – there was no way the other boy would want to be anywhere near him right now.

Sitting up slowly he looked around him at the bedroom that was his for the next year or so. Holidays were coming up in a few months and his parents would be expecting him home, what was he going to do? Suddenly it was hard to breathe, the walls felt like they were closing around him, his head started to spin and his vision blurred. He had to get out.

Without another thought he pulled himself to his feet and ran out of the room, barely remembering to close the main door behind him. He ran through the dorm, thankful most people were at breakfast so they weren't around to see him going crazy. He ran out of the school grounds and along the side of the road until he reached a lookout nobody was currently occupying. He dropped to his knees, the spinning in his head getting the better of him, and gripped the safety rail bars tightly in his hands.

He couldn't go back, he couldn't. There had to be a way to stay at the school during the holidays, an excuse he could give his parents so they wouldn't fight him on it. Ianto fought for every breath, panic gripping him so tightly he was sure that he was going to pass out from oxygen deprivation. What was he going to do? Not only did he have Justin to worry about, but now he'd screwed everything up with Jack too and probably lost the other boy's friendship forever. If he could breathe he would have sobbed.

"Ianto." The sound of the voice behind him made him freeze. There was no mistaking who was speaking and he felt his panic increase. There was no way he could face Jack now, he couldn't even speak.

He heard the sound of footsteps approaching and suddenly Jack was kneeling down beside him.

"Ianto are you okay?" the Canadian asked.

He didn't reply, he couldn't, but there was no way for him to get that across to Jack without saying it. His panic increased further; what if Jack thought he was intentionally ignoring him? He'd already done something incredibly stupid the night before, he didn't want to add to it by making Jack think he was intentionally ignoring him as well.

He struggled to draw in a breath so he could answer the other boy but it was to no avail. He felt tears burning at his eyes and he gripped the bars in front of him even tighter.

He wasn't entirely sure of what happened in the moments the followed, but the next thing he knew he was in Jack's arms.

"It's okay, Ianto," Jack whispered, gently stroking his back with one hand while the other held him tightly against Jack's warm body.

It took Ianto's oxygen deprived brain a moment to comprehend what was happening. His heart however understood immediately and before Ianto's mind could stop them, his hands had let go of the bars in front of him and taken a hold of Jack's arm instead. After a few moments his mind finally caught up and he knew he should let go of Jack and pull away but he didn't want to, the moment Jack had touched him his fear had started to recede and if he held on just a little longer he might be able to get himself back under control. So as much as he knew he shouldn't he clung to the beautiful man, leaning his face against Jack's shoulder and breathing in his lovely scent (now he was calmer and could finally breathe again).

It took a few minutes, but eventually Ianto felt he was in control of himself once more. He knew he should pull away now but dear god it felt so good being wrapped up in Jack's arms like that. He felt safe and warm and he wanted to hold on to that feeling for as long as he could. He knew that eventually he'd have to move away though, even if he didn't want to, and he knew when he did he was going to have to explain to the other boy what was going on. Knowing it would be easier for him to speak when he wasn't physically face to face with Jack he took a deep breath and said, "I'm sorry, Jack."

"For what?" the Canadian asked quietly.

"For this, for last night," Ianto replied.

"Why?"

Ianto was surprised by the question. "What?" he asked.

"Why are you apologizing? You haven't done anything wrong," Jack said.

He felt the Canadian start to pull back and as much as he didn't want to, he released his grip on the other boy's arm. Jack didn't go far however, he pulled away from Ianto just enough to look into his eyes.

"How can you not see how much I adore you, Ianto?" he asked. "Everyone else can see it and I've been trying so hard to make you see it too but you just don't – why? Why is it so hard for you to accept that I care about you and I want you?"

Ianto couldn't believe what he was hearing. Jack was telling him that he wanted him, it couldn't be real; he had to be dreaming. Surprised as he was, he answered without thinking. "Because I can't understand how someone like you could ever want me." He felt pain stab at his heart the moment the words left his lips; he hated that they were true. He looked away feeling tears stinging his eyes once more. He wouldn't cry in front of Jack, he'd done enough to embarrass himself already.

He felt Jack's fingers hook under his chin and the next thing he knew he was looking up at the Canadian once more. What he saw in the depths of Jack's eyes at that moment made him gasp. Anger and pain warred for dominance while a light sheen of tears shined at the front making Ianto think that the pain was winning the battle.

Jack's hand moved from under Ianto's chin to gently stroke his face and those expressive blue/gray eyes continued to burn into his. Ianto felt tears sliding down his face, and he hated himself for it but he couldn't stop them, not while Jack was looking at him like that. Jack's fingers gently wiped the tears away and the tenderness behind that movement caused more of them to follow.

"Who did this to you, Ianto?" Jack finally whispered. "Who could honestly bring themselves to hurt someone as beautiful as you are?"

Ianto tried to fight against the sob that rose within his chest but it was to no avail. He broke down into tears, sobbing brokenly and it was a mere moment before he found himself back in Jack's arms once more. This time he didn't even bother trying to fight it, he slipped his arms around Jack's neck and buried his face in the Canadian's shoulder. He didn't like this, he didn't want to look weak in front of Jack, but he was just so exhausted both physically and emotionally and it felt so good being in the other boy's arms; he never wanted to let go.

After what felt like hours Ianto finally felt strong enough to pull away again.

Jack loosened his grip on Ianto but didn't let him go. "Please talk to me, let me help." Jack asked quietly.

Ianto looked down unable to meet Jack's eyes and shook his head. "I can't, I'm sorry I just . . . can't," he barely whispered back. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath waiting for Jack to get mad at him and pull away. He was surprised beyond words when he felt Jack's hands slide up to cup his face and Jack's lips pressed softly against his forehead.

Ianto, who's hands had been resting against Jack's chest since the Canadian had pulled back to talk to him, moved them back up to gently caress Jack's neck, partly because he wanted to and partly because he just needed something to hold on to. The gentle, affectionate way Jack was treating him was something he wasn't used to and it was making him feel all warm and light headed.

"That's okay," Jack whispered leaning his forehead against Ianto's. "You don't have to tell me right now, I can wait as long as you need me to. I just want to be with you. I want you in my arms, just like this, every day. Will you let me?" he asked almost pleadingly.

"Why?" Ianto asked. "Why me, you could have anyone?"

Jack shook his head. "No I couldn't, because I don't want anyone else. There's no one like you, Ianto. You may not see how wonderful you are but I do and I'm going to make sure you know it too, no matter how long it takes me to convince you."

Ianto took a deep breath and looked up into Jack's eyes. He had to know if the Canadian boy meant what he was saying. When his gaze met Jack's he almost fell over in shock. There was nothing but sincerity and adoration in those lovely blue/gray eyes.

"Oh." It was barely a whisper but it was all Ianto could think to say right now.

Jack seemed to understand what he was trying to express and gave him a warm smile. "You are a truly beautiful creature, Ianto Jones, do you want to be with me?" he asked.

Ianto nodded; his brain currently incapable of forming coherent words.

Jack's smile grew wider and he leant forward to press another gentle kiss to Ianto's forehead. "At your pace, okay? You tell me what you want me to do and when and I'll do it," he whispered.

"I don't want to control you, Jack," Ianto replied slightly alarmed.

"You wouldn't be controlling me, Ianto, just guiding our relationship. I don't know how much experience you've had with relationships in the past and I don't want to do anything before you're ready for it. So, like I said, all at your pace. You lead and I'll happily follow anywhere you want me to go." Jack replied.

Ianto felt a small twinge of fear in his stomach as he thought about the experience he'd had up until now. Really, if he were being honest, he hadn't had any, not in an equal relationship anyway. He knew he should tell Jack but he was frightened that the Canadian wouldn't want to be with him if he did.

"What's wrong, Ianto?" Jack whispered.

Ianto sighed; of course Jack would know there was something he wasn't saying. "How do you always know when something's bothering me?" he asked.

Jack chuckled quietly. "I spend a lot of time looking at you," he replied.

Ianto closed his eyes and buried his face in Jack's shoulder, a happy warm feeling flowing through him at the sound of the other boy's words. He knew right then he had to tell Jack the truth. "I don't have any experience with relationships, Jack," he mumbled quietly, bracing himself for the moment when Jack would pull away and politely tell him that perhaps they weren't right together after all.

"Really? Well, this will be new for both of us then won't it?" Jack asked.

Ianto pulled back a little so he could look into Jack's eyes. "What do you mean?" he asked confused.

"I don't have any experience with real relationships either," Jack clarified.

"That can't be true," Ianto replied disbelievingly.

"Well, I ah . . ." Jack began but trailed off looking down.

Ianto waited silently for the Canadian to continue. After a few moments Jack looked up at him and Ianto was shocked to see a light blush covering the other boy's cheeks.

"I've had um . . . friends . . . of all sorts, but um . . . nothing you would consider particularly . . . permanent," Jack finally answered his eyes nervously searching Ianto's.

For a moment Ianto was confused; then it hit him like a slap on the face. "Oh," was all he could think to say as he looked away, trying to process what it was Jack was saying. Jack hadn't had relationships in the past; he had however taken a lover . . . or . . . several. That was fine, but why was he wasting his time trying to have a relationship with Ianto when he had plenty of lovers back home and could have plenty more here?

Ianto pulled away from Jack and moved to sit down on one of the large boulders that bordered the lookout. He heard Jack climb to his feet and move to stand in front of him. He could feel Jack's eyes burning into him and after a few moments he took a deep breath and looked back up at the Canadian. Jack's eyes were full of concern for Ianto, but underneath it Ianto could see fear. What would Jack be afraid of?

"I don't understand. You have multiple lovers back home and you could have plenty more here, why would you want to waste your time on someone like me?" Ianto asked.

Jack's eyes narrowed slightly and Ianto saw anger instantly replace the concern. "I am only going to say this to you once. You are not a waste of time, don't you ever think that!" the Canadian growled.

Ianto shrunk back slightly and he saw guilt immediately overtake the anger in Jack's eyes.

"I'm sorry," Jack mumbled crouching down in front of the rock Ianto was sitting on. "I wasn't trying to scare you; I just don't like hearing anyone talk about you like that, not even yourself. Please believe me when I tell you I'd never hurt you," Jack pleaded.

And Ianto did believe him. Jack's eyes were so full of sincerity and caring there was no way he could not believe him. He nodded slightly in response and Jack gave him a small smile in gratitude.

"In answer to your question, I don't want more lovers and I don't want to go back to the lovers I had before because I care about you. Back home there are so many people who would kill to be in a relationship with me and most of them are lovely and beautiful but they're not you. I know this is going to sound strange, but I'm one of those people who believe in fate. I believe that there is one person out there for everyone, one person who you are meant to be with forever and when you find that person you know immediately they're the one." He reached up and gently stroked Ianto's face.

"You can call me crazy if you want to but I dreamed about you for weeks before I came here. You, exactly as you are, right down to that lovely accent. You are literally my dream; you are everything I want, that's why I've been chasing you since we got here. I would rather spend the rest of my life doing nothing but staring at you than spend a single second with anyone else," Jack finished reaching for Ianto's hand.

Ianto allowed Jack's fingers to thread through his and the Canadian gave his hand a gentle squeeze.

"Do you think less of me because of my previous lovers?" Jack asked quietly and it was then Ianto understood where the fear had been coming from before.

"No," Ianto replied squeezing Jack's hand in return. "I don't think there's anything you could do that would make me think less of you."

Jack gave him a grateful smile before looking down at the hand he was holding. He played idly with Ianto's fingers for a moment before asking, "What do you want me to do, Ianto? Tell me and I'll do it." He looked up at Ianto again sincerity shining in his bright blue/gray eyes.

Ianto gazed back at him for a moment, unsure of what to do. He wanted Jack, god only knew how much, but could he really just demand what he wanted? Wouldn't it be wrong of him to be ordering Jack around? That was what Justin did to him; he wouldn't do it to anybody else, least of all Jack. He thought it over for a few more minutes before finally coming up with an answer to his dilemma.

"No," he replied quietly. "I won't tell you what to do, Jack. You're not my slave, nor would I want you to be. I'll ask you for what I want and it'll be up to you to decide whether you do it or not, okay?"

Jack nodded. "Okay then, what would you _like_ me to do, Ianto?" he rephrased his question.

Ianto gazed at him for a moment longer trying to work up the courage to ask for what he really wanted right at that moment. "Would you . . . I mean . . . could you . . ." he trailed off and looked down shaking his head. He couldn't do this; he didn't know how to ask for something he wanted, it had been so long since he'd been given a choice in anything. Finally he took a deep breath and looked back up at Jack, determination and sheer stubbornness the only things keeping him from bolting away as he asked, "Could you just hold me for a while, please?"

Jack gave him a heart-melting smile as he sat beside Ianto and pulled him into his arms.

Ianto closed his eyes, breathing in Jack's wonderful scent and feeling a sense of calm overtaking him. If Jack really wanted to be his then he was going to enjoy it as much as he could for as long as it lasted (which in Ianto's mind wouldn't be long since Jack was perfect and Ianto wasn't – he was sure the Canadian would work that out soon).

He heard Jack sigh contentedly and the Canadian kissed the top of Ianto's head, holding him a little tighter.

"Ianto," the Canadian whispered.

"Yes, Jack," he replied quietly.

"Was that a yes?" Jack asked.

Ianto felt his heart soar as he replied. "Yes, Jack it was."

--

They headed back at the school a few hours later and made their way up to their room. When they arrived they found their friends gathered together, worriedly discussing where they thought Jack and Ianto might have gone. As soon as the two MIAs walked in the door they were immediately pounced on and questioned about where they'd been. Both Ianto and Jack apologised profusely and told the group they'd gone for a walk to talk a few things out.

Finally over their freak out, the group noticed their friends' joined hands and all at once the concern in the room changed to excitement. The guys were happy and congratulatory; the girls were ecstatic and wanted details. The rest of the afternoon was spent talking, celebrating and eventually turning on the movie they'd been watching the previous night since most of them had fallen asleep during some part of it.

As they settled in to watch, Jack's arm slid around Ianto holding him tightly. Ianto, for his part, did what he'd been wanting to do since the first movie night they'd spent together and leaned his head on Jack's shoulder, wrapping his arms around the Canadian.

He smiled as he felt Jack's hand come up to stroke his hair before the Canadian rested his head against Ianto's. Ianto had never believed in heaven, but if it really did exist he imagined it would be something like this.

--

After the movie and pizza (they decided to order in tonight rather than eating in the dining hall) the rest of the group headed back to their rooms for the night. It was rather late and everyone was still tired from the last few weeks. Owen and Seeley walked the girls back to their dorm leaving Jack and Ianto alone for a while.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, each of them taking a moment to enjoy the feeling of having the other close.

Finally Jack broke the silence by asking, "Did you enjoy the movie a little more the second time?"

Ianto chuckled slightly. "Considering I actually saw it all this time and didn't wake up with everybody staring at me I'd have to say yes. What about you?"

Jack chuckled back. "I'd have to go with yes too since you didn't fly out of my arms and run away this time."

Ianto looked at Jack apologetically. "I'm sorry about that," he murmured contritely.

"It's okay. I was a little upset at first, but thankfully we have good friends who are very observant," Jack replied.

Ianto was confused by the comment but he didn't ask.

"I suppose we should go to sleep now," Jack suggested.

"Not yet," Ianto replied. "I don't want to let you go yet."

"You wouldn't necessarily have to you know," Jack replied quietly.

Ianto tensed at the possible meaning behind the suggestion, and Jack reacted immediately, pulling away slightly to look into Ianto's eyes.

"No, no I didn't mean it like that," he rushed to reassure Ianto. "I meant we could sleep together – just sleep nothing else. I'm sorry I should have been clearer," Jack said.

Ianto shook his head. "No it's okay, I shouldn't jump to conclusions," he replied. "I'm sorry but I think I need to work up to that a little . . . I just,"

"You don't need to explain it's okay," Jack cut him off gently. "It was just a suggestion and one I shouldn't have made since I promised to let you lead our relationship."

Ianto shook his head once more. "No, I don't want to lead every facet of our relationship, Jack. I want us to be equals in this; which means we both have to have a say in what happens between us, it can't just be me making all the decisions. All the times up until now when you've done something of your own accord it's been exactly what I wanted you to do and I want you to keep doing that. The point is; if I can ask for what I want then so can you, it's only fair."

Jack nodded. "Okay, I get it. Are we okay? I mean I haven't scared you away have I?" he asked cautiously.

Ianto gave him a warm smile. "We're perfect," he replied reaching up to gently stroke Jack's face. "You certainly are anyway," he whispered.

Jack took the hand from his face and brought it to his lips. "I liked the 'we' part better," he replied softly.

Ianto smiled at him for a moment before closing his eyes and leaning his face against Jack's shoulder once more. Something was different, Ianto knew it but it took him a few moments to realise what it was. For the first time in ten years the icy cold feeling which had taken up residence in his stomach because of Justin was gone; Ianto felt warm and safe and he liked that feeling – a lot.

--

Owen and Seeley walked the girls back to their dorm and up to the level their rooms were situated on. They left Elena and Martha at their room before continuing on down the hall to drop off the others. Temperance, Angela and Tosh headed straight inside and Seeley headed back downstairs, giving Owen and Katie a moment alone.

Owen waited until the walkway was clear before reaching forward to kiss Katie's soft, pink lips. He smiled as he felt Katie's hands slide up around his neck and she kissed him back. After a few minutes Owen pulled back and smiled down at her warmly.

"I'll see you tomorrow," he whispered lovingly.

Katie looked back at him for a moment before surprising Owen immensely by pouncing on him and kissing him deeply. Owen heard himself groan and he tightened his grip on the young Finnish girl holding her as close to his body as he could.

After what felt like hours they broke apart, both of them desperately needing air.

Katie gave him a cheeky grin before whispering, "Goodnight, Owen, I'll see you in the morning."

Owen, still in shock from what had just happened, could only stare after her as she made her way inside and closed the door.

After a minute (or maybe it was five) Owen finally broke out of his stupor and made his way back down to find Seeley, a wide smile plastered on his face. It was good to be him right now.

--

End of chapter 7

Well what did we think??? Did we like the way our boys got together??? Please let me know and I promise to reply to all your reviews tomorrow.

Kisses and hugs and all things shiny

Kayla


	8. What's Wet And Wild?

Hi everyone a new chapter has arrived :). Just like last time I've gotten very far behind with my review replies and I apologise profusely. I really do appreciate your feedback and I will reply to you all soon, my brain had been hyjcked by a story and wouldn't let me go!! Anyway here it goes I hope you like it.

Special thanks go to Socalrose my lovely Beta for all her wonderful work.

Here we go...

**What's Wet and Wild??? (Get your mind out of the gutter people)**

"Hey guys, I have a great idea."

The group looked up from their breakfast to find Morghan approaching the table; a wide grin lighting up her features.

"What?" Owen asked the question everyone was thinking.

Morghan slid into the chair next to Ray. "We're finally in March meaning summer's officially over and it's now autumn. I know most of you probably can't tell but trust me we are, the weather here just takes a while to catch up to itself. Anyway I was thinking; why don't we head down to Wet and Wild this weekend while it's still hot enough to enjoy it?"

"What's Wet and Wild?" Katie asked.

"Oh right, sorry, Wet and Wild is a water amusement park. It's got water slides and pools, that sort of thing. It's so much fun and I really want to go before it gets too cold, what do you think?"

The group's eyes lit up like Christmas trees and excited chatter filled the room. After a few moments Morghan called out over the noise.

"So I'm taking that as a yes?" she asked.

A chorus of 'yes' met her ears and her grin grew even wider.

"Okay then. We'll head there on Saturday morning, I'll organise the transport. For anyone who's interested I'm going shopping on Thursday night for new swimmers and you're welcome to join me," Morghan finished before digging into her breakfast.

Ianto turned to look at Jack who was smiling back at him, an excited gleam in his blue/gray eyes.

"A water park," Ianto said with a grin. "I love water parks."

Jack's eyebrows arched at that announcement. "Really? Me too. I'm a little surprised to hear it from you though I thought Cardiff would be too cold to have water parks."

Ianto shrugged. "You get used to the cold when you've lived in it all your life."

"I guess that's true, I don't really notice the cold either. So, do you already have swimmers with you, or do I get to come shopping with you and watch you try on a few pairs?" Jack asked suggestively.

Ianto chuckled at the other boy. "I do have some, but they may suffer a horribly debilitating accident between now and Thursday."

"Terrible shame that would be," Jack replied with mock seriousness.

"Abominable," Ianto replied in the same tone.

They stared at each other for a few seconds before they both started chuckling.

"What about you?" Ianto asked when the laughter had died down.

"I was going to bring mine but I wanted to get a new pair while I was here so I didn't bother. Looks like we'll both be shopping on Thursday night," Jack replied with a grin.

"Hmmm, suddenly I'm really looking forward to Thursday night," Ianto replied, matching Jack's grin with one of his own.

The Canadian gazed at him for a moment, his grin softening into a warm smile.

Ianto gazed back at him, his expression changing to match Jack's once more.

They'd been together for two weeks now and Ianto was loving every minute of it. He had to admit he was surprised. He thought for sure Jack would have realized he'd made a mistake after a few days and ended their relationship but he'd been completely wrong. Jack spent every free second with him; talking to him, touching his face, holding his hand, wrapping him up in those gorgeous, well-muscled arms. Jack was gentle and attentive and loving; Ianto had never felt so special in his life.

Jack had kept his word and let Ianto lead their relationship for the most part. He had however listened to what Ianto had said that first night and asked if he ever wanted anything, like the night before when Ianto had fallen asleep on the couch and Jack had gently woken him and asked if he could carry Ianto to bed and tuck him in. Ianto had been so tired and out of it that he hadn't even thought about what it could lead to before he'd agreed. Of course, Jack being Jack, he'd done exactly what he'd said he was going to do before kissing Ianto gently on the forehead and leaving the room.

Ianto could easily fall in love with this boy and he'd be lying if he said that didn't scare him a little. Still, it wasn't enough to keep him from spending every minute he could with the gorgeous Canadian. Leaning a little closer to Jack, Ianto reached out and gently brushed his fingers across Jack's forehead and down the side of his face, loving the way Jack's eyes closed and he leaned into the caress. Truth be told, Ianto was still in awe of the fact that this beautiful boy really wanted him.

Jack opened his eyes and his gaze locked with Ianto's once more. He had the loveliest eyes; Ianto could have spent all day staring at them.

"Ianto," Jack said his name softly.

"Mmm," Ianto replied.

"May I kiss you?" Jack asked.

Ianto thought about it for a moment before shaking his head. He saw the look of concern and disappointment fill those lovely eyes, but before Jack could get too worried Ianto grasped the other boy's face gently in his hands and kissed him. It was gentle and sweet, the way a first kiss should be. When they pulled apart once more Ianto smiled cheekily at the Canadian who looked a little dazed.

"Sorry, I wanted to do that first," he apologised to Jack who finally broke out of his daze and returned Ianto's smile.

"No that's okay; it was better your way," Jack replied taking Ianto's hand in his and kissing it gently.

The bell rang interrupting their moment and everyone rose from their tables and headed to their first class of the day. Ianto and Jack had English so they headed over to their classroom hands firmly linked. As they travelled through the throng of students Ianto couldn't help but think about how different things had gotten after two weeks.

The first day he and Jack had walked through the school holding hands anyone would have sworn they'd both grown a second head with all the attention they received. Neither of them had been overly surprised of course, people tended to stare at anything they considered unusual or strange. What had surprised both of them was that aside from Gwen who glared at them unrelentingly nobody had been unkind or judgmental about their relationship. Sure, people had stared, but there hadn't been any malice in those stares just curiosity. Ianto had been expecting scorn or teasing but none had come. Now, two weeks on, everyone had just gotten used to seeing them together and things were back to normal.

They reached their English room and stopped to talk to Angela and Tosh who had arrived just before them.

"So, are you boys excited about the water park trip?" Angela asked.

Jack nodded. "Definitely," he replied. "Are you going shopping with Morghan on Thursday night?"

Angela nodded. "Definitely I've been wanting a new pair of swimmers and it means I get to dress up in sexy outfits for Tosh so it's a win-win situation. Now if I can just get her to try some on…" she trailed off looking at Tosh suggestively.

Tosh rolled her eyes but smiled at her girlfriend's all too obvious attempts to get her out of her clothes. "You never know you might get lucky," she replied as the teacher arrived and led them all into the class room.

Angela raised her eyebrows at Jack and Ianto and made a show of crossing her fingers before following Tosh into the classroom.

Jack and Ianto shared a grin before following her.

--

The day went quickly and before Ianto knew it, he was walking out of IT with Tosh, Ray, Elena and Mickey and heading over to the dining hall for afternoon tea. About halfway to their destination they passed Gwen and Lisa who were talking to a group of girls. Ianto didn't pay them any attention as he passed by, however a few steps away from the group he heard Gwen call out, "Jack's going to be mine you know! I don't know what he's got going on right now thinking you're the best he can do, but eventually he's going to snap out of it and when he does, I'll to be here waiting. There's nothing special about you, Ianto Jones, nothing at all. You're just a pale, boring freak who-"

"Oh shut-up you stupid slut!" Ray interrupted Gwen's little tirade. "Jack wants Ianto not you – build a goddamned bridge and get over it!"

Gwen just stared at Ray in shock for a moment before an angry glare overtook her features. "Stay out of this, bitch; it has nothing to do with you."

"It has everything to do with me. You're attacking my friend who is far too nice to rub your face in the fact that he's won and you've lost so I'm saying it for him. Jack. Doesn't. Want. You." Ray enunciated every word slowly and clearly. "Go and find someone else to fixate on because you have no chance with him!"

Ray didn't wait for Gwen to answer before turning away and continuing her journey toward the dining hall the rest of the group close behind. A few seconds later Gwen ran up to Ray, grabbed her arm, whirled her around and slapped her across the face. The group gasped in shock, Ray just looked at Gwen disbelievingly.

"Did you just slap me?" she asked incredulously.

"I did," Gwen replied, a look in her eyes that clearly stated she thought she'd won.

Ray nodded slowly. "Yeah, I thought so." Without another word she pulled her arm back and punched Gwen right in the nose.

Both groups gasped in shock as Gwen dropped to the floor like a lead balloon, holding her nose and screaming like a toddler.

Ray glared down at her. "Stay away from my friends and don't ever touch me again otherwise I'll break it," Ray snarled before turning away and continuing on toward the dining hall, her group once again following close behind and still somewhat in shock.

Ianto walked along quietly beside Tosh whose eyes had been trained on him since Gwen had first spoken. He knew she was worried about him and normally he'd tell her he was okay so she'd stop worrying but he couldn't bring himself to lie right now. He wasn't okay, he was angry and hurt and he just wanted to go back to his room and sulk for a while.

He knew if he told the others he didn't want afternoon tea they'd ask him why and if he couldn't handle lying to Tosh there's no way he'd be able to lie to everyone else. It was bad enough that he could feel several other sets of eyes joining Tosh's in her current surveillance of him. So, he kept his mouth shut and followed the others to the dining hall.

"Ianto-" Tosh began but he cut her off.

"Don't, please," he asked softly, knowing she'd understand that he just couldn't have the conversation he knew she wanted to have with him right now.

"Ok," she whispered back, giving his shoulder a gentle squeeze.

The rest of the trip was taken in silence and when they reached the dining hall Ianto slunk over to their usual table without a word and plonked himself into a chair.

"Do you want anything to eat, Ianto?" Tosh offered quietly.

He shook his head and she made her way over to the food line. He followed her progress with his eyes and as soon as her attention was focused on the food he slipped out of the dining hall and headed back to his room.

--

Morghan caught sight of Ianto making his way out of the dining hall as she approached with Rhys, Angela, Katie and Martha. She watched him go, wondering where he was going and for some reason she couldn't quite grasp, wondering if he was okay. Concerned, she made her way inside and over to the rest of the group who were making their way back to the table with their food.

"Hey, guys," Morghan greeted. "Where's Ianto going?" she asked.

The other group exchanged worried glances before Ray replied, "Probably finding somewhere to be alone. We were on our way over here after IT and we ran into Gwen and Lisa. Gwen said some really nasty things to Ianto about him and Jack."

"What kinds of things?" Jack's voice interrupted.

Morghan turned to find Jack approaching with the rest of their missing group, his normally happy blue/gray eyes burning with contempt.

"That he wasn't good enough for you," Ray elaborated. "That you're going to snap out of whatever it is that's making you think he's the best you can do and leave him for her."

"Did he say anything back?" Angela asked.

Ray shook her head. "No, I thought he might but he didn't. Tosh tried to talk to him about it afterwards but he wasn't in the mood to discuss it. He waited until we got here and none of us were looking before he disappeared. I'm sorry, I think he just really wanted to be alone" she explained.

Jack was livid, that was obvious by the look on his face. His voice when he replied to Ray however was a lot softer than Morghan had expected.

"It's not your fault; you didn't make Gwen a bitch." He spoke without looking directly at Ray. "I'm going to go talk to him," he announced, taking a deep breath probably to calm himself before heading out of the dining hall.

Morghan watched him leave the room before turning her attention back to Ray and the others. "Did anyone say anything back to her?" she asked.

"I did," Ray replied. "I told her Jack would never be interested in her and she should get over it and move on."

"Ha, what did she say to that?" Angela asked obviously pleased by Ray's reaction.

"Nothing, she slapped me," Ray replied as if she were talking about the weather.

"She what?!" Morghan hissed in anger grasping her friend's face gently in her hands and searching the other girl's skin for signs of redness or bruising.

The taller girl gave Morghan a warm smile and gently pulled her hands away. "I'm fine, Morghan," she reassured her gently.

"But-"

"I'm fine, Morghan," her words were slightly more forceful but her voice was just as gentle.

Morghan sighed and pulled her hands away. "All right, fine," she conceded. "But I'm getting you something cold to put on it."

Ray chuckled at Morghan's unnecessary concern but she nodded in acquiescence. "Okay, Morghan," she agreed with a smile.

"So did you do anything back?" Angela asked.

"Raylina Hall!" An angry voice echoed around the dining hall and Ray smiled knowingly at a cranky looking woman standing in the dining hall doorway.

"Yes, I punched her in the nose," she replied to Angela's question before turning to address the very angry teacher who was approaching them at pace, steam practically whistling out of her ears. "Yes, Miss Johnson," Ray answered the other woman's bellow from earlier.

"Did you punch Miss Cooper in the nose?" Miss Johnson snarled the question.

"Yes, Miss Johnson," Ray replied as if it were nothing at all.

"Right then, Missy, get to the principal's office now!" Miss Johnson demanded.

Ray continued to smile smugly at the older woman as she replied, "Yes, Miss Johnson." and all but skipped out of the dining hall toward the office, as if she were looking forward to getting there.

Miss Johnson stalked after her and the rest of the group turned curious eyes to Morghan.

"They have a history," Morghan explained before heading over to find herself some afternoon tea leaving a very confused group of people in her wake.

--

Ianto was curled up on his bed staring at the note Jack had left on his door the morning they'd gotten together when he heard the main door to their block open. He knew it would be Jack looking for him so he folded the note back up and pushed it under his pillow. He knew it was pathetic to keep the note but he didn't care. It reminded him of all the things Jack said to him that day and brought a smile to his face whenever he saw it. He didn't want his patheticnessknown to Jack. He'd already seen Ianto crying like a little girl which was bad enough.

He heard footsteps approaching his bedroom door. There was a moment of silence then a quiet knock.

"Come in, Jack." Ianto called out quietly.

The door opened and Jack slipped inside, closing it behind him.

Ianto sat up as Jack glided across the room and climbed onto the bed beside him. The Canadian settled himself against the headboard and pulled Ianto into his arms, stroking his hair gently before pressing a kiss to the top of his head.

Ianto closed his eyes and cuddled up to Jack's side, pressing his ear to the other boy's chest so he could listen to the soothing sound of his heartbeat.

After a few minutes of silence Jack finally spoke. "You are the most beautiful person I have ever known. You outshine people like Gwen a million times just by being you. You light up my life in ways no one else ever could and nothing feels as incredible to me as having you in my arms. I want you, always, I don't want her you must believe that by now," he said softly.

Ianto cuddled closer to the other boy and sighed. "I want to, Jack, I really do. You have no idea how happy you make me with the simplest gestures and I want to be able to stand up in front of everyone and declare to the world that you're mine and nobody else can have you." Ianto felt tears come to his eyes and his voice shook slightly as he said, "Then I run into Gwen and she says those things about me and about us and I want to argue with her, I want to be able to tell her that she's wrong, but I can't because she's right, Jack, about all of it. I am plain and boring and you are too good for me and I can't tell her why you would want me instead of her because I can't understand -"

"Hey, hey stop this, please," Jack interrupted, reaching down to gently wipe away the tears that had escaped Ianto's eyes while he'd been talking.

Ianto clung to Jack for a moment before suddenly realising how pathetic he must look and sound right now. Thoroughly annoyed with himself he jerked away from Jack and swiped angrily at his eyes. "And now look at me, I'm acting like a complete girl," he growled. "God, Jack, how the hell do you put up with me?? You may as well have a girlfriend for all the emotional baggage I come with!"

He closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath to calm himself. If he kept this up he would scare Jack away for sure. Then again, maybe that would be a good thing. Ianto knew he was going to lose Jack eventually; maybe it would be better if it happened now before he got too invested in the relationship and found himself in love with the gorgeous Canadian.

_Yeah right, and the Lone Ranger didn't have a thing for __Tonto__!_

Ianto had been falling for Jack since the first moment he saw him in the airport. Whether the other boy left him now or in a year didn't matter; it was still going to kill him to watch Jack walk away. His time with Jack was limited and he had to make the most of it while he could which meant no more acting like a girl. He took another deep breath and was intending to apologise to Jack when he suddenly found himself wrapped up in a pair of strong, well-muscled arms. Those arms pulled him back to their owner's gorgeous body and very soon Ianto found himself in the same position as he'd started.

Jack's hand gently stroked his hair while those arms held him close. "I don't 'put up with you,' Ianto, I care about you. I don't think you're a girl at all and everybody who's lived more than a day has emotional baggage. I don't want you to listen to a single thing that comes out of that harpy's mouth. She only says those things to you because she's jealous and insecure and she needs to put other people down to make her feel better. I know words can hurt though, so if she does say something that hurts you I would rather you tell me and let me help than keep it to yourself because you're worried I'm going to think less of you for being upset, which I won't by the way, not ever," Jack said softly.

He gently tilted Ianto's face up and kissed his forehead in a way that always warmed Ianto's heart. He gently stroked Ianto's face and gazed adoringly into his eyes. After a few moments Jack smiled and leant his forehead against Ianto's. "So beautiful," he whispered, "and all mine."

Warmth flooded Ianto's body and he smiled adoringly up at the gorgeous Canadian. "All yours," he agreed softly and leant up to kiss Jack's perfect lips.

Jack kissed him back, sliding his fingers into Ianto's hair.

It was gentle and loving; promising so much more when Ianto was ready for it. He knew Jack would never push him and he adored the gorgeous Canadian for that. But Ianto had no doubt that when he did feel like he was ready to take things further Jack would be the most wonderful, attentive lover on the planet. Knowing that Jack wanted him made Ianto feel even warmer and when they pulled back from the kiss he smiled up at the Canadian once more before whispering, "Thank you."

Jack looked surprised. "For what, sweetheart?" he asked quietly.

"For being you, for being so wonderful and perfect, I know our relationship isn't exactly normal," Ianto replied.

Jack raised an eyebrow at him. "Ianto we're both guys, by definition our relationship was never going to be what's considered normal. Besides, who wants normal? I want you, I don't care how."

Ianto chuckled quietly and cuddled into Jack's side once more, pressing his face into Jack's neck and breathing in the Canadian's incredible scent. "Have I ever told you, you smell fantastic?" he asked.

It was Jack's turn to chuckle. "Why thank you, Mr. Jones, you smell lovely yourself," he complimented causing them both to chuckle some more.

Ianto closed his eyes, allowing himself to enjoy the moment. He didn't realise he'd fallen asleep until Jack woke him a few hours later for dinner. He sat up and rubbed his eyes, apologising to the other boy for falling asleep on him yet again.

Jack just smiled. "Believe me I didn't mind, if it was up to me it would be a nightly occurrence," he replied sincerely.

Ianto blushed and looked away. What would it be like sleeping with Jack beside him? Would he keep the nightmares away like he always seemed to? Maybe Ianto should try it. He trusted Jack completely even though he really hadn't known him long in the scheme of things; didn't he owe it to himself to find out?

"I'm sorry, I'm not trying to pressure you," Jack's voice broke him out of his reverie.

He smiled warmly up at the Canadian. "I know, don't worry I don't feel like you are," he reassured him.

Jack returned his smile and they both headed into their bathroom to check that they looked presentable before heading down to dinner.

--

All through dinner Ianto thought about the possible repercussions of sleeping with Jack. He trusted Jack completely and he was sure the other boy wouldn't push him into anything he wasn't ready for. The only thing that worried Ianto was what would happen if he did have one of his nightmares and woke Jack up, or heaven forbid, he had one of his nightmares and struck out in his sleep accidentally hurting Jack.

He hadn't told Jack about his nightmares, he didn't want to have to explain what they were about. Although, Jack had been so understanding about him not wanting to discuss his past up until now, maybe he should tell Jack about the nightmares. He could always just explain that they were linked to his past and he still wasn't ready to discuss it yet. Jack would understand wouldn't he?

"Are you all right, sweetheart?"

Ianto looked over at the gorgeous Canadian with a knowing smile and leant forward to kiss Jack gently on his perfect lips. When he pulled back a few moments later Jack's expression was one of complete surprise.

"Yes, gorgeous, I'm fine," Ianto replied.

"Okay then," Jack responded sounding slightly dazed.

Ianto chuckled and went back to his food. Was there any way for Jack to be more perfect?

He continued to mull over whether or not he should tell Jack about the nightmares and whether or not it would be wise to ask the Canadian to stay with him tonight through the rest of dinner, all the way back to their room afterwards, the entire time he was showering and later when he was watching evening television with the others in the lounge room.

When they all finally decided to go to bed Jack went to take a shower and Ianto sat down at his computer to check his email while he waited for Jack to emerge. He accidentally clicked on the first email before the page had loaded properly and a message from Justin flashed up on the screen.

'_Only a few weeks to go now Ianto, I can't wait until you come home. I've been redecorating your room while nobody's been looking and I have to say, I've done a sensational job. All the new toys are set up and ready, I even bought some new sheets for the occasion; pure white so every drop of blood I squeeze out of your body will stand out nice and bright._

_I hope you're behaving yourself over there, Ianto, I'd hate to find out you've been naughty without me! I will tell you this again, Ianto, YOU ARE MINE!!! _

_Just a few weeks to go, I hope you're as excited about the holidays as I am._

_See you soon._

_Justin._

Ianto deleted the email and buried his face in his shaking hands. With everything happening between him and Jack he'd completely forgotten that the holidays were only a few weeks away and he'd have to go home. He didn't want to go home. If Justin's emails were anything to go by he'd never leave again. He was afraid of what Justin was going to do to him; afraid of the pain, but more than anything else he was terrified he'd never see Jack again. He shut the computer off and moved over to lie down on his bed, closing his eyes and willing the shaking to stop.

A few minutes later he heard the water turn off in the shower and he took a deep breath trying to pull himself together. Jack would be in here any minute to say goodnight and he'd already had to deal with one of Ianto's freak outs today, Ianto didn't want to subject him to another one particularly when it had anything to do with Justin. He was mostly back under control by the time Jack knocked on his door.

"Come in," he called quietly.

Jack walked into the room wearing a pair of boxers and a T-shirt that showed off every muscle of his gorgeous chest.

Ianto could only stare in awe as the Canadian approached him. Jack was so perfect, and for now, he was all Ianto's. He heard Jack chuckle quietly and it was then Ianto realized he'd been caught staring. He blushed profusely and looked away, mumbling an apology.

He heard Jack laugh again and one of the Canadian's hands reached down under Ianto's chin and tilted his head back up.

"Don't apologise, Ianto, I'm yours, you can look at me all you want," the Canadian said softly before moving his hands down to grasp Ianto's and pulling him to his feet. He brought Ianto's hands up to rest on his chest and wrapped his own around Ianto's back pulling their bodies flush together.

Ianto gasped as Jack's perfectly toned figure pressed up against his. Oh my god it felt amazing! Ianto's hands began to shake once more only this time it wasn't out of fear, but lust. He dared to look into Jack's eyes and saw desire and lust projected back at him from their blue/gray depths.

Jack leaned forward and whispered in his ear, "Can I kiss you, Ianto?"

Ianto's heart slammed into his chest at the seductive tone in Jack's voice and he nodded in reply suddenly finding it hard to speak.

Jack ran his fingers gently down Ianto's cheek before cupping Ianto's face in his hands and kissing him.

Ianto kissed him back, sliding his fingers up into Jack's hair and pulling him closer. At the first teasing brush of Jack's tongue Ianto opened his mouth allowing him entry. He groaned quietly, tightening his fingers in Jack's hair as the Canadian's questing tongue explored every inch of his mouth. Jack growled in response and kissed him even harder.

He felt Jack's hands slide down his body stopping when they reached the bottom of the T-shirt Ianto had thrown on after his shower. The Canadian left them there for a few seconds, giving Ianto the opportunity to say no if that's what he wanted and as it happened he didn't.

When Ianto didn't object Jack's hands slid under Ianto's shirt caressing every inch of soft skin and every muscle they found. The Canadian broke the kiss and moved his lips back to Ianto's ear. "Your skin feels so amazing, Ianto, I need to touch more of you," he whispered breathlessly.

"Too bad for you – Ianto's mine!"

Ianto froze as Justin's voice broke through their moment. He pulled away from Jack and looked around just in time to see Justin's arm swinging toward the Canadian, the glow of the bedroom light shining off something sharp and metallic in his hand.

"No!" Ianto screamed trying to maneuver himself between Jack and Justin, but he was too late.

The knife buried itself in Jack's chest and his beautiful Canadian stumbled backwards. Ianto reached for the other boy but Justin pulled him back and he could only watch as Jack stumbled backwards into the wall and slid to the floor holding his bloody chest.

Ianto struggled against Justin but it was to no avail, the other boy was just too strong. "Let me go, Justin, please!" he begged.

"No, I warned you, Ianto, I told you not to misbehave while you were here but you didn't listen to me. Now you get to watch him die," Justin snarled.

"No," tears poured down his cheeks as he watched Jack's eyes grow darker by the moment. He continued to fight against the arms that held him but it was fruitless. "No, Jack. God please no!"

--

End of chapter 8

So what did we think?? Please review and let me know. I know I've been slack and I'd let you all read the story that hijacked my brain but it's a crossover and aside from this one which worked because the characters are all younger and out of their world this one was based in the current worlds of two shows and unfortunately it seems quite a few people don't like crossovers :(. so sadly this little jewel of writing is most likely to be kept to myself. Anyway I won't be working on that one anymore so I should be able to reply to my reviews sooner.

What did we think of Ianto using Jack's quote from the show??? I so wanted to throw that in somewhere. And what did we think of Ray's little payback of Gwen??? Please let me know.

Kisses and hugs and all things shiny.

Kayla


	9. Late Night Rendezvous

Hi I'm back again!!! Still have a few reviews to reply to but I tried to be quicker this time. Had some internet trouble for a while but all fixed now yay!!! So here's the chapter. Thought I should mention Pacific Fair is a real shopping centre on the Gold Coast, Citybeach I'm sure is everywhere but if it's not and you have no idea what I'm talking about it's a surf shop which I personally find way overpriced but they usually have nice stuff and Wet and Wild is a real water park on the Gold Coast.

Love you all if I haven't replied to your review yet I will do so shortly.

Big thanks to Socalrose as always for her wonderful betaing :)

**Late night rendezvous and swimsuit shopping**

**Last time on Exchange Program…**

_The knife buried itself in Jack's chest and his beautiful Canadian stumbled backwards. Ianto reached for the other boy but Justin pulled him back and he could only watch as Jack stumbled backwards into the wall and slid to the floor holding his bloody chest. _

_Ianto struggled against Justin but it was to no avail, the other boy was just too strong. "Let me go, Justin, please," He begged._

"_No, I warned you, Ianto, I told you not to misbehave while you were here but you didn't listen to me. Now you get to watch him die," Justin snarled._

"_No." tears poured down his cheeks as he watched Jack's eyes grow darker by the moment. He continued to fight against the arms that held him but it continued to be fruitless. "No, Jack. God please no!" _

**And now the continuation…**

Ianto's tear-filled eyes snapped open and he found himself once more lying in his bed in the dorm. Unlike the first time he'd had a nightmare about Jack and Justin he didn't search the room for the two men, he knew by now they wouldn't be there.

He knew now it had been a dream, he knew it wasn't real, still the grief he'd felt at seeing Jack die paralysed him and he was helpless to do anything but lie there and cry.

He wasn't sure how much time passed before he could finally move again, but when at last his body began to respond to his commands once more, he looked over at the clock and saw that it was 1:00. He sighed heavily, pushing the blankets aside and climbing out of bed.

From what he could remember the only plausible explanation he could come up with was that he'd read Justin's email, gone over to lie on the bed to calm himself down and fallen asleep while he was waiting for Jack to finish in the shower.

'So much for asking Jack to stay with me tonight," he mentally grumbled.

Thoughts of Jack brought the memories of that horrible nightmare roaring back to the surface and Ianto felt his eyes tearing almost immediately. He took a few deep breaths to calm himself but it only helped so much. He needed to see Jack; he needed to make sure he was okay.

He looked over at the door that separated his room from the bathroom. He could just go in to Jack's room for a moment and look couldn't he? Surely that wouldn't be so terrible as long as he didn't wake Jack up right?

He looked at the door for another few moments before the urge to see Jack overtook everything else and he found himself creeping through their bathroom, and even though he knew it was probably pointless, knocking as quietly as possible on the Canadian's door.

When he got no answer just like he'd expected, he twisted the door handle as slowly as he could and gently pushed the door open (suddenly very grateful to whoever was in charge of keeping these doors oiled and therefore squeak free). The sight that greeted Ianto as he entered the room made him sigh with relief while at the same time bringing a smile to his face.

Jack was lying on the right hand side of the bed (the opposite of Ianto who preferred the left), on his side, with the sheet pulled up to his chest and one arm curled under his head. The other arm lay half across the bed as if it wanted someone to hold, the top of it offering a peak at the dark blue T-shirt covering Jack's torso. His hair looked the same as always just slightly more crazy and his perfect lips were pulled back in a small, blissful smile. Ianto was glad that at least one of them seemed to be having a pleasant dream.

"Ianto."

Ianto froze at the sound of his name slipping quietly from those perfect lips. He held his breath, worried that Jack had woken up and caught him.

Then the gorgeous Canadian shifted slightly, pulling his outstretched arm back to him and sighing, the smile on his face growing even wider. "Ianto," he mumbled quietly, becoming still once more.

Ianto felt tears burning at his eyes as he realized Jack was dreaming about him, and if the smile was anything to go by, it was a very good dream.

He'd planned to keep his distance so he didn't wake the other boy, but after seeing that he couldn't help moving to the side of the bed and carefully lowering himself down to perch on the edge next to the sleeping Canadian. He was intending to just watch him for a moment up close, but it seemed his hand had a mind of its own and before he could stop it, it was reaching out to gently brush a few stray strands of fringe away from Jack's face.

When Jack didn't respond to the touch Ianto decided to go for broke and leant down to press a gentle kiss to Jack's forehead. Jack stirred slightly at that and not wanting to wake him up Ianto gently rose from the bed and made his way quietly back to the door.

"Ianto?" Jack's tired voice stopped him before he'd taken more than a few steps and this time he knew the other boy was awake.

He returned to Jack's bedside and carefully lowered himself back down beside the Canadian. "Yeah, Jack it's me. I'm sorry I didn't mean to wake you," he apologised quietly.

"That's okay," Jack replied rolling over onto his back so he could look up at Ianto properly. "What's wrong?" he asked.

Ianto shook his head. "Nothing I'm fine, I just didn't get a chance to say goodnight to you earlier and I wanted to see you. Everything's fine, go back to sleep okay, I'll see you in a few hours." He moved to stand up but Jack's hand caught his arm.

"What's wrong, Ianto?" he asked again, clearly not believing Ianto's story.

Ianto shook his head. "It's nothing important, Jack," he tried to play it down again but the look in Jack's eyes told him that it wasn't going to work. Knowing the other boy wouldn't let it go until he got the truth Ianto sighed in defeat and said. "I had one of those horribly vivid nightmares where everything feels completely real and when I woke up I wanted to see you; that's all I promise."

Jack's eyes searched his in the darkness and for a moment Ianto thought Jack didn't believe him. Finally the Canadian nodded and pushed the blanket back so he could sit up.

"No, don't get up, Jack, go back to sleep, I'm fine really," he said pressing gently on Jack's chest to keep him lying down.

Jack took Ianto's hand from his chest and pulled it to his lips, pressing a gentle kiss to Ianto's palm. His eyes searched Ianto's for a moment before he whispered. "Stay, please. I just want to hold you for a while, nothing else I promise."

Ianto smiled warmly at him and nodded. "All right, Jack," he agreed quietly. His smile grew wider at the happy sparkle he saw in Jack's eyes and he walked around to the other side of the bed and slid in next to his beautiful Canadian.

Jack met him in the middle, wrapping Ianto up in his lovely, strong arms. Ianto held him back resting his head comfortably on Jack's chest. Jack pressed a gentle kiss to the top of Ianto's head before burying his face in Ianto's soft, dark hair.

Ianto closed his eyes, feeling that lovely warm sensation that always came to him when he spent time with Jack flowing through him. He felt safe, loved, and he liked that feeling more than he could ever express. The combination of Jack's lovely scent, his warm, strong arms and the soft beating of his heart lulled Ianto to sleep in no time. As he danced on the cusp of unconsciousness he heard Jack's voice whisper his name.

"Ianto."

"Mmm," he mumbled in reply.

"I love you."

He was dreaming, he had to be, but he smiled happily and let the dream sweep him away. "I love you too, Jack."

--

Thursday rolled around quickly and before Ianto knew it the school day was over and they were headed to Pacific Fair to shop for swimmers. In the end Jack and Ianto were going, along with Angela, Tosh, Katie, Owen, Temperance (because Angela had taken one look at her swimmers and dragged her along), Elena and of course Morghan and Ray.

The group wandered around for a while getting used to the layout of the shopping centre before heading into City Beach. All the swimwear was on the top level so they made their way up there together. As they headed up one of the escalators, Ianto, who was discussing something with Morghan on the step behind Jack, noticed all the attention his boyfriend was receiving both from girls and other guys who were shopping in the store.

He suddenly felt the overwhelming urge to wrap himself around the Canadian and tell them all to bugger off but he stamped it down, knowing he was just being jealous and possessive. They could look all they wanted as long as they kept their hands to themselves.

He'd be lying if he said he didn't feel threatened, there were a lot of really good looking people in the store, but he was determined not to let it get to him. Jack wanted him that was all that mattered.

They'd discussed the night they spent together a little, but not in too much detail. They'd awoken the following morning when Jack's alarm went off at five and Ianto had crawled out of bed and walked bleary eyed back to his room to get dressed so he didn't keep the others waiting for their morning jog. When they'd come back afterwards they'd showered and headed to breakfast as usual with Owen and Seeley.

About halfway through breakfast Jack had apologised to Ianto and told him he hadn't meant to push him into anything. Ianto had seen the fear in Jack's eyes as he'd asked if Ianto was upset with him and by that point he'd stopped Jack and assured him that he wasn't at all upset or bothered by what had happened. He then reminded Jack that he had been the one to go into Jack's room in the first place and that he'd woken Jack up when he shouldn't have, for which he then apologised. Jack had told Ianto that he didn't mind at all and Ianto could wake him up like that any time he wanted to.

They'd both agreed that they were fine with what had happened and things went back to normal, but Ianto had spent the next few nights missing Jack's arms and finding it very hard to get any decent sleep without them. He'd wondered for a moment if Jack was having the same trouble he was but immediately dismissed the idea. Jack was fine; Ianto was the one with the issues.

They reached the top floor and climbed off the escalator heading over to the swimwear. Ianto rolled his eyes as everyone they passed stopped what they were doing and stared at Jack. No, he was not going to let it get to him!

"Okay here's what I think," Angela began when they reached their destination. "I think we should dress the guys first then send them on their way while we get ourselves sorted. What do we think?" she asked.

There was a chorus of agreement from the girls (except Temperance who didn't really care since she hadn't wanted to come in the first place) who then began discussing who should dress which boy. Obviously Katie wanted to be the one to dress Owen and Elena offered to assist since she knew how stubborn her brother could be about trying things on. That just left Jack and Ianto.

Ianto watched warily as the girls discussed who would be the best to dress him and Jack and wondered what exactly they intended to do to them. He didn't want to ruin their excitement but the whole point of coming shopping with Jack tonight had been exactly that, coming shopping with JACK. He'd been looking forward to watching Jack try stuff on all week he didn't want to miss out now that they were finally there.

Unfortunately before Ianto could say anything, Tosh had ushered him into a change room while Ray ushered Jack into another and Morghan and Angela went to work picking out stuff for them to try on. Ianto sat down in the change room and sighed in defeat. He knew he could have put up a fight and the girls would have backed off, but they were so excited he didn't have the heart to ruin it for them. A few seconds later Angela passed him something over the door and he began stripping off.

--

An hour later saw Ianto bored out of his mind and feeling somewhat like an expensive dog at a show. He was up to his 20th pair of board shorts and Angela still wasn't happy. He liked her, he really did, but she was driving him up the wall!

Of course it didn't help that Ianto refused to model any of the board shorts she'd picked out for him without a shirt on. Angela had been thoroughly annoyed at him but Ianto had argued that he wasn't going to be walking around in the Australian sun all day without a shirt on; he'd be a lobster in seconds, he did not have the complexion to be able to pull that off.

She'd finally gotten over her grumbling and agreed to work within his parameters but it apparently limited her options and therefore it was taking ages for her to pick something. When she returned with yet another outfit for him to try on he was almost at breaking point. He took it into the change room and decided that if she didn't like this one he was going to go out there and choose for himself, if that ruined her fun too bloody bad!

He threw the outfit on and ventured out to face the music. "Well?" he asked with no enthusiasm whatsoever. He was shocked beyond belief when Angela smiled.

"That's it!" she practically squealed.

"Really?" Ianto asked disbelievingly.

"Yep," she replied happily.

"Thank god," he mumbled to himself. "Ok, I'm going to change," he said loud enough for them to hear this time and disappeared back into the change room. When he remerged dressed in his normal clothes once more Tosh was the only one still there.

"Where's Angela gone?" he asked concerned that she'd changed her mind and gone to find something else for him to try on.

"She's gone over to the next aisle of change rooms where they took Jack to see if Morghan and Ray have come up with something for him to wear yet," she replied.

Ianto nodded slightly relieved, although at the same time feeling bad that she was now torturing Jack instead. Suddenly a thought occurred to him and he asked. "Where did you say they took Jack again?"

"Just there," Tosh motioned to the next aisle over.

Ianto grinned and immediately headed for the aisle. Maybe Jack hadn't picked yet and if he hadn't Ianto might get the chance to see him try a few things on after all. He reached the next aisle and stopped abruptly when he saw the crowd that had gathered around the Canadian. From the looks of it every girl in the shopping centre had made their way over to watch Jack try on swimmers and all Ianto could see of him was the top of his head.

Ianto felt jealousy and anger surge through him. He hadn't gotten to watch Jack try on clothes but every-bloody-one else had! At that moment he hated every one of his female friends who'd come along with them that evening, while at the same time hating himself for not telling them to go away at the beginning.

He sighed heavily; there was no way he was going to be able to get to Jack through that crowd and with all the attention he was getting Ianto doubted Jack would want him there anyway. He turned to head downstairs so he could get out of the shop but stopped when he heard a female voice say.

"Come on, Jack you look hot in those, you should so totally get them!"

"I don't know," he heard Jack reply. "I'm sorry, ladies I know you've been working really hard to help me tonight, but as helpful as you've been I can't decide until I know what Ianto thinks."

Ianto froze, had Jack really just said that?

"Who's Ianto?" A girl just in front of him asked another girl in front of her.

"Ianto's Jack's boyfriend," the other girl replied.

Ianto felt warmth flood through him. He couldn't believe Jack had told all the girls about him.

"But wouldn't it be nice to surprise Ianto on Saturday?" he heard Angela ask.

"Yeah, but a surprise is only good if the recipient actually enjoys it. I'd rather make sure he likes what I'm going to be wearing all day Saturday now then get there and find out he hates it but has to put up with it all day anyway," Jack reasoned.

"All right, fine," he heard Angela grumble. "Ianto where are you?" she called out.

The group of girls started looking around themselves which Ianto found incredibly funny since none of them knew what he looked like.

He was deciding whether he should call out in reply or just try and squeeze through when Angela burst through the throng and grabbed his hand.

"There you are! Come on we need your opinion," she informed him before pulling him through the crowd towards Jack.

Ianto looked around him nervously, knowing all eyes were on him. The girls were whispering to each other and giggling and Ianto could only imagine what they were saying. Probably something like, 'Jack's with him, oh my god why?'

Suddenly Angela stopped him and asked. "Okay what do you think?"

Ianto turned his attention away from the group and looked straight ahead to find Jack standing in the middle of the room, surrounded on all sides by girls, dressed in a pair of long, black board shorts with swirls of colour down the sides; that sat at his hips and stopped just below his knees. He was naked above the waist affording a perfect view of all his lovely muscles.

"My god you're gorgeous, Jack."

Ianto didn't realize he'd said it out loud until the girls around them all started 'awwwing' at him. He blushed bright scarlet and looked away feeling like an idiot.

He looked up when he heard Jack approaching and found his gorgeous Canadian smiling at him adoringly. Jack reached forward to gently cup Ianto's face in his hands and kissed him.

Ianto kissed him back, reaching up to slide his fingers into Jack's soft, brown hair. He normally wasn't one for public displays, but after missing out on his night with Jack, he happily ignored the chorus of 'ooooh' that was coming from all sides around him and allowed himself to be drawn completely into the moment.

All too soon it was over and Jack was pulling back to look lovingly into his eyes. "You like the board shorts?" he asked quietly.

Ianto nodded not quite trusting his voice at the moment.

Jack's smile widened. "Good," he replied leaning forward to press another gentle kiss to Ianto's lips. This time when he pulled back Jack ran his fingers gently down Ianto's cheek before whispering. "I'm going to get changed back into my clothes, wait here for me?"

Ianto nodded once more and reluctantly released Jack to return to the change room, wishing like hell he had the guts to go in there with him. He suddenly remembered the audience they'd had and looked around to find all the girls still present and smiling at him dreamily. He suddenly felt a very strong desire to disappear into the floor.

"Well then, I guess that's you guys all taken care of, now we have to get Temperance into something nice," Tosh commented suddenly appearing beside him.

"Um, Tosh," Ianto said quietly.

"Yeah?"

"Why are all those girls still staring at me?" he asked nervously.

"I don't know," she replied honestly. "I'm guessing it's because they think you and Jack are perfect together like the rest of us do."

Ianto blushed and suddenly decided that his shoes required his attention.

Tosh giggled and wrapped an arm around him. "Don't be so shy, Ianto. You guys are just so right together, people are bound to notice," she said with a grin.

Ianto's blush darkened. He didn't want to be noticed, the more people noticed him the more obvious it would be that Jack was far too gorgeous for him. He kept his eyes on the ground the whole time he was waiting for Jack, trying to hide from the myriad of girls surrounding him as best he could. When he felt Tosh's arm move from around his shoulders to be replaced moments later by Jack's warmer, stronger limb, he wrapped his arm around the Canadian's waist and leant into him, clinging to the strength of the other boy while at the same time trying to disappear.

"Are you all right, sweetheart?" Jack asked quietly.

Ianto nodded, not quite feeling up to lying verbally.

Jack of course knew immediately that something was wrong and wrapped a finger under Ianto's chin, tilting his face up to look at Jack's. "What is it, love?" he asked quietly.

"They're all staring at me," Ianto replied quietly, not wanting to elaborate as to why that bothered him so much while they were in a public place.

He could tell Jack knew there was something else but the Canadian didn't mention it. Instead he wrapped his other arm around Ianto and pulled him close whispering into his ear. "Don't worry about them. As far as I'm concerned, there's no one here right now except you and me."

Ianto suppressed a shiver as Jack's warm breath blew across his ear and slid his arms around Jack's neck, burying his face in the Canadian's shoulder and breathing in his wonderful scent.

"Cara 'ch, cariad." The words escaped his lips before he'd even realized they were there and he froze, hoping like hell Jack hadn't heard him.

"What did you say, sweetheart?" Jack asked quietly.

"Just that you looked great before," Ianto lied thankful that Jack couldn't search his eyes to see if he was telling the truth like he usually did.

"Oh, okay, thank you," Jack replied softly.

Was it Ianto's imagination or did Jack sound disappointed? Before he could mull over it properly the Canadian pulled back and gave him a warm smile.

"Come on, let's get out of here before the girls decide we both need new wardrobes," he suggested.

Ianto shuddered at the thought of trying on more clothes and agreed wholeheartedly.

Jack held Ianto tightly to his side and moved them both toward the escalators. "Thank you so much for your help, ladies; have a wonderful evening," Jack called as they moved though the throng.

"Bye, Jack, bye, Ianto," the group called to them as they stepped on to the escalator and began their descent downstairs.

--

end of chapter 9

--

So what did we think??? For those of you who worried in the last chapter that I'd killed Jack all I can say is NEVER!!! not unless I intend to bring him back somehow but there's no supernatural in this story!!! Well there might be a spell of two later you never know ;). I LOVE YOUR REVIEWS!!! every one of them is cherished not just by me but everyone in the household (household consists of my mother, my husband 4 dogs and a cat, we have acreage so there's a horse too but it's not ours and lots of cars; my husband is a car freak) Anyway we all read my reviews and enjoy them (yes even the cars) so please keep sending them on we love them so much!!!! Love you all have a great day and I hope you're enjoying the story.

Kayla


	10. Swimsuits and Sailor Scouts

**Hi everyone I'm back again :) Sorry it's been a while Uni goes back for me next week and I've been busy with preparations and the like. This is a bit of a short chapter compared to some of the others and I'm sorry to disappoint but our Jack and Ianto don't make an appearance. This was a complete freak of nature and only happened because the next part of the story is all about them and very long. I was going to put a bit of it in this chapter but can't really break it up so I couldn't. However this chapter is centred around the girls and the rest of their swimsuit shopping, I do hope you enjoy it and don't worry the next chapter will be very Janto orientated. **

**Anyway sorry to all my reviewers who haven't received replies from me, I have been so busy and I hoped you'd forgive me if I sent out a new chapter Pretty please????? I did promise to be better and now that most of my uni stuff is worked out I'll try very hard promise.**

**Anyway here we go I hope you like it. Big thanks to Socalrose my wonderful Beta.**

**There is a reference to Sailor Moon in this story if you haven't seen the show it doesn't matter it just makes the scene funnier if you have.**

**Swimsuits and Sailor Scouts**

"No."

"Yes."

"No!"

"Yes!"

"No!"

"Oh come on, sweetie you look hot."

"I feel naked."

"But you're not."

"That doesn't keep me from feeling like I am."

Angela glared at Temperance for a moment before saying. "You know, you're worse than Ianto was and he's a guy."

"And?" Temperance snarled back.

"And guys are supposed to hate shopping, girl's aren't," Angela replied.

"Says who?" Temperance demanded.

"Says everyone, watch the television sometime, sweetie," Angela replied causing Temperance to glare at her some more.

"Seriously, T, you look awesome," Morghan complimented.

"T?" Temperance asked.

"Yeah, T, I thought it would be a good nickname for you. Don't you like it?" Morghan asked.

Temperance seemed to mull over it for a moment before saying, "Actually I don't mind it."

"Shiny," Morghan replied with a grin, causing the others to look at her curiously. "It's my new word for great, cool, awesome, that sort of thing," she explained.

The others all nodded in understanding before Angela's eyes focused on Temperance again. "T really, you look so good, Seeley's going to love it," she assured her friend.

Temperance blushed and looked away instantly. "I don't care," she mumbled unconvincingly.

"Uh-huh, sure you don't," Angela replied sarcastically causing Temperance to glare at her some more.

"We all know you're into him, T, you may as well just admit it," Morghan suggested gently.

Temperance looked at the group for a moment before asking, "Is it that obvious?"

"Not to him but it is to us," Angela replied. "Just like it's obvious that he's totally into you. I've already told you this; you just refuse to believe me."

Temperance looked down again, her eyes studying the deep blue bikini Angela had her dressed in. "You really think he'll like this?" she asked barely loud enough for the others to hear.

"He'll love it, sweetie," Angela promised.

"Anyone with eyes will love it," Morghan added causing the others to giggle.

Temperance took a deep breath and looked down at herself once more before finally relenting. "Fine I'll get it."

"Wonderful," Angela exclaimed excitedly as Temperance disappeared back into the change room. "So, who's next?" she asked turning back to study the rest of the assembled group just as Katie and Elena came in to join them. "Oh you're back, is Owen sorted?" Angela asked them.

The pair nodded. "He's gone to find Jack and Ianto," Katie elaborated.

"Great, so . . . ooh, Elena, how about you?" Angela asked focusing her attention on the young Russian girl.

"How about I help Elena while you and Tosh go and have a look for yourselves. We only have a few more hours in here before everything shuts," Morghan suggested as much to save Elena from Angela as to have a chance to see Elena in swimmers.

Angela seemed to consider it for a moment before Tosh agreed for her and took her girlfriend's hand pulling her toward the racks full of swimwear.

"Ooh, does this mean you're going to try on something too, Tosh?" Angela asked hopefully as the other girl led her away.

Morghan watched them go with a grin before turning her attention to Elena. "Okay, let's find you something," she said leading the way over to the swimwear the others following close behind.

--

Half an hour later all the girls had chosen a few suits to try on. Despite her own desires to see Elena run around in swimmers all day Morghan had been forced to admit that she was definitely better off wearing some board shorts and a sun shirt over any swimmers she chose to buy to protect her incredibly fair skin from the very hot Australian sun.

She'd helped the lovely Russian girl choose a few things as well as Ray and Katie and the other three had done the same for her. Finally they were back at the change rooms trying on their selections.

Morghan pulled her first outfit on and headed out of the change room to get the other's opinions. Ray exited her change room at the same moment and they appraised each other carefully.

"I like it," Morghan commented first.

Ray looked down at her outfit. "Actually I do too," she agreed sounding surprised with her discovery. She looked back up at Morghan then. "I like yours too," she complimented.

"Really?" Morghan asked looking down at her swimmers. "They're a bit more revealing than what I'd normally wear, but they're a lovely colour."

"I like them," Ray repeated. "I think they suit you … and apparently I'm not the only one."

Morghan looked at her curiously and Ray indicted with her head that Morghan should look behind her. Morghan turned around and found Elena standing outside her change room door, looking absolutely breathtaking in a dark purple one piece.

Morghan's breath caught as she saw how incredible Elena looked, stopping completely when she realized Elena's eyes were glued to her. They stared at each other entranced for a few moments before Katie came out of the change room between theirs breaking their line of sight.

She saw Morghan first and smiled. "Ooh, you look really good. You too," she added down to Ray before turning to look at Elena. "And you – wow!"

"Thank you," Ray answered first followed by the others who slowly recovered the use of their vocal cords.

"You look great too," Morghan commented back. "Both of you," she added before looking down at Elena again. "Really, really good."

"Thanks," Katie beamed at the compliment.

"Thank you," Elena replied blushing slightly.

"Well what do you say we try on the next ones and compare?" Ray asked.

"I agree," Katie replied.

"Me too," Morghan and Elena replied at the same time.

"All right then, next outfits," Ray announced heading back into the change room.

Morghan turned her attention back to Elena just as the young Russian's attention returned to her. "You really look great," Morghan complimented.

"Thanks so do you," Elena replied with a shy smile.

"Thanks," Morghan replied quietly before returning back to her change room

"Morghan!" Elena's voice stopped her and she turned back to face the gorgeous Russian.

"Yeah?"

Elena looked at her for a moment, the expression on her face leading Morghan to believe she was struggling to say something. After a few moments she seemed to change her mind and instead of speaking she moved forward until there was barely an inch between her body and Morghan's.

Morghan's heartbeat kicked up several notches as Elena's eyes studied her face, mapping every feature from her eyes to her lips. Her gaze stopped there and Morghan felt her breath catch once more as Elena moved closer, the Russian girl's hands moving up to gently cup Morghan's face.

"Hey are you guys in here?" Angela's voice broke through their moment seconds before she and Tosh rounded the corner and saw them. "Oooh hello, what's going on here?" she asked suggestively.

Elena immediately jumped away from Morghan putting as much distance between them as she could in the limited space. "Nothing," she replied immediately.

Angela raised an eyebrow at the young Russian who was now blushing profusely. "Is that so? It didn't look like nothing."

"I . . . I have to change," Elena replied all but running back into her change room.

When the door was shut behind her Angela turned her attention to Morghan. "So, what was going on here?" she asked.

"Like she said it was nothing," Morghan replied as evenly as she could before heading back into her own change room to escape their prying eyes. The cold, nasty feeling of rejection burned through her and she all but ripped the swimmers from her body before throwing her own clothes back on as quickly as possible. She wanted to get out of there, pay for her things and leave before anyone could ask what happened.

When she remerged fully dressed a few minutes later Katie, Tosh and Angela were the only ones out there swapping opinions on their current attire.

"What do you think, Morghan?" Katie asked motioning to herself as well as Angela and Tosh who were looking at her apologetically.

Morghan put on the best fake smile she could muster and said. "You all look great."

"See what did we tell you?" Katie asked happily, obviously oblivious as to what had happened for which Morghan was thankful. Hopefully the others would be too. "Weren't you going to try on something else?" Katie suddenly asked.

A movement behind Angela drew Morghan's attention to Elena who was just exiting her change room dressed in her normal clothes once more. She looked up and her eyes fell on Morghan who immediately looked away. She had to get out of here she couldn't be around Elena anymore.

"Yeah I was, but I just realized we only have another hour in here before we have to leave and there are a few things I need to pick up from another shop before we head home. Besides I really liked that pair and looking at the others again I can already tell they won't be as nice."

"Okay," Katie replied. "I can understand that they did look really good on you." She complimented.

Morghan managed another smile for the young Finnish girl, she really was lovely. "Thank you, you looked great in you first one too, and in this one, have you decided which one you like better?" she asked not wanting to appear rude.

Katie shook her head. "Still a few more to try yet, I'm sure I'll know soon."

Morghan nodded. "Okay I'm going down to pay for mine. I'll head over to pick up the other stuff I need and I'll meet you guys at the food court in an hour, Ray can show you the way okay."

Katie, Angela and Tosh nodded although it was obvious Tosh and Angela were concerned about her.

Morghan returned their nod and headed for the escalator, thankful that Ray was still in her change room and hadn't been able to insist on coming with her. Right now she just wanted to be alone.

--

They got back to the school around 9:30 and bid each other goodnight before heading for their dorms. Morghan was the first through the door to their block and headed immediately for her room saying a quiet goodnight to Martha who was on the couch watching TV as she passed.

As soon as she disappeared through the door Martha turned questioning eyes on Ray and Elena. "Is everything all right?" she asked.

Elena just looked at the ground

"I'm sure she's fine," Ray replied reassuringly. "I'll go and talk to her. Goodnight guys."

Martha and Elena bid her goodnight and she headed into her room to put her stuff down before moving on through the bathroom to Morghan's door. She knocked quietly and Morghan immediately called for her to come in.

Ray opened the door and headed inside to find Morghan perched at her desk with her computer open in front of her checking her emails.

"Daisy and Mina want us to come visit them while we're on holidays," Morghan informed Ray without looking up.

"Have they got something planned?" Ray asked moving to stand behind Morghan's chair.

Morghan nodded. "They're having a party," she replied.

"That'll be fun," Ray replied with a nod.

They were silent for a moment before Morghan spoke. "I'm fine, Ray, don't worry about me."

"It's obvious you're not," Ray argued. "So why don't you just tell me what's wrong?"

Morghan sighed. "Because it's nothing; come tomorrow I'll be over it, just don't worry about me alright." She got up and headed into the bathroom closing the door behind her.

Ray glared at the door for a moment unsure to what to do. She knew something was wrong and she knew it had something to do with Elena from the way both girls had acted for the rest of the night. Morghan didn't want to discuss it but Ray was worried and she needed to make sure her friend was okay. Should she respect her friend's wishes and leave her until tomorrow when she would hopefully be ready to talk, or should she push now and make sure Morghan was okay before she went to bed?

She weighed up both options before reaching her conclusion. She didn't want to wait, she didn't do it well. Without another moment's thought she stalked through Morghan's cupboard and flung open the bathroom door completely unconcerned with the fact that her friend was already stripped down to her underwear. "Elena isn't going to disappear overnight, Morghan," she said simply.

Morghan froze in the process of undressing and turned back to look at her friend with a raised eyebrow. "You do know you're supposed to knock before you burst in on other people in the bathroom?" she questioned quietly.

"Right, like you care about that," Ray said sarcastically. "Besides you're just trying to avoid talking about Elena and I'm not letting you get out of it that easily."

Morghan shrugged. "You're right," she said simply.

"About which part?" Ray asked.

"About me not caring," Morghan replied, turning back to the shower and unfastening her bra before slipping her underwear off and throwing them both in the basket. She opened the shower door then and turned on the taps, but before she could climb in, Ray's hands were on her arms pulling her back and turning her around so they were face to face once more.

"And guess what? Five years around you and neither do I, so you're not getting rid of me that easily!" Ray snarled reaching past Morghan to turn the taps off. She then stood in front of the shower door so Morghan would have to go through her if she wanted to get in. "You are going to talk to me whether you want to or not," she stated simply. "And don't even bother pretending you don't care because I know you and there's no way in hell you'll go to sleep without a shower."

Morghan glared at Ray for a moment before crossing her arms and moving to sit on the side of the bathtub. Avoiding Ray's eyes she looked defiantly at the wall.

Ray sighed and moved to sit beside her. "There's no point sulking either you know how stubborn I am. Look I know your mood has something to do with Elena, just tell me what it is and I'll leave you alone," Ray promised.

"She doesn't want me that's what's wrong, now go away!" Morghan snapped.

"What are you talking about she doesn't want you? Didn't you see the look on her face while you were standing out there in a bikini?" Ray asked completely unable to comprehend what Morghan was talking about.

"Yeah she thought I looked nice and when we were alone she came over to me and I was sure she was going to kiss me," Morghan replied.

"That sounds like a good thing," Ray stated confused.

"I thought so, until Tosh and Angela came into the room and asked what was going on." Morghan shook her head, tears glimmering in her eyes. "The moment they walked in Elena jumped as far away from me as she could get, like the idea of someone catching her with me was the most horrible thing in the world, like I had some sort of disease! And when Angela asked what we were doing Elena said 'nothing', and not the way you say it if you're caught doing something like kissing someone you like, more like the way you'd say it if someone caught you making out with the most disgusting creature in the universe," Morghan explained sadly.

"She was probably just startled," Ray suggested but Morghan shook her head.

"She wasn't startled, Ray, she was horrified," she argued.

"You don't know that," Ray argued back. "You're not in her head. Like I said before, while you were in that bikini it was obvious that she wanted you, I could see it in her eyes."

"Well obviously it's not enough is it?" Morghan growled finally turning to look at Ray. "I'm not about to enter one of these relationships where we're all touchy feely and happy in private and then the minute we're with other people we pretend there's nothing going on. I'm not a toy to be used, Ray, and if that's what she wants then she can go and shove it!" Morghan snarled turning her face away from Ray's once more.

"I'm not saying you should, Morghan, I'm saying that you should talk to her properly before getting all upset about something that might not mean what you think it does," Ray argued.

"Look, I don't want to talk about this right now. You demanded that I tell you what's wrong with me and I have; now I just want to have a shower, go back to my room and write for a while before I go to bed and try and forget this night ever happened. I know she's not going to disappear overnight but at least when I've had some sleep I'll be able to process this rationally and if you're really my friend you'll either leave me alone or talk about something else. What's it going to be?" Morghan demanded her eyes glaring into Ray's.

"Sailor Mars is better than Sailor Neptune!" Ray yelled immediately.

"Oh please as if!!! Why, because she sits on her ass all day chanting nonsense to a fire?" Morghan argued back. "Sailor Neptune would kick Sailor Mars' ass in a fight any day!"

"Would not!"

"Would too!"

"Would not!"

Would too!"

"Says the girl sitting on a bathtub naked!" Ray sniped.

"Says the girl who walked in on me while I was naked and won't leave!" Morghan sniped back.

"Sailor Mars is better, just deal with it!" Ray snarled.

"If Sailor Mars is so much better how come Sailor Neptune and Sailor Uranus had to save the inner senshi so many times during the S series huh?" Morghan demanded.

"It was a new enemy and Uranus and Neptune knew how to fight them already, the inners didn't!" Ray argued.

"Oh sure, any excuse will do!" Morghan argued back.

"Didn't you want to have a shower?" Ray asked snarkily.

"Get out of my way and I will," Morghan replied with a victorious grin.

"This is not over!" Ray snarled stalking back into Morghan's room. She pulled the door shut behind her and headed over to sit on Morghan's bed. They'd had that argument so many times when they were kids and eventually come to realize they were never going to agree. It had been a serious argument back then, but when they'd grown up a little more it had become something they could argue about when they were frustrated with each other without fear of one of them getting hurt. She knew Morghan would have been perfectly aware of why Ray brought it up and she was sure the other girl had been grateful for her chosen change of topic. With a sigh she leant back against the bed head to wait for Morghan to finish in the shower.

Her mind wandered back to Elena then and everything Morghan had told her about what happened that night. She was sure Elena liked Morghan, in fact she'd bet her entire life's supply of olives on it, which was saying a lot. She wanted to find a way to fix things for her friend but what should she do? Maybe she should talk to Elena herself, or Owen even; he might be able to help.

She mulled over it until Morghan finished in the shower and walked back into the room dressed in her pajamas. She looked over at Ray with sad, red rimmed eyes and Ray knew her distraction hadn't worked as well as she'd hoped.

"Do you want to go another round?" Ray asked quietly.

Morghan shook her head making her way slowly over to the bed.

Ray hated seeing Morghan upset but she'd exhausted all of her options to help cheer the other girl up right now. So knowing there was nothing else she could do she held out her arms and Morghan climbed slowly up onto the bed and sank into them. She cuddled into Ray's side and Ray held her tightly, offering her friend silent support. They didn't speak, they didn't communicate at all, and in the end that's how they fell asleep.

--

end of chapter 10

Ok so what did we think? Once again sorry for the lack of Janto but there will be a heap of it next chapter. Sorry gain for the lack of review replies will try to be better not Uni's all sorted. And if you didn't understand that Sailor Moon reference I hope you enjoyed the scene anyway.

See you soon

Kayla


	11. Love and Memories

**Here I am again!!! I got the greatest news today...**

**I'M GOING TO MEET GARETH DAVID-LLOYD I AM SO EXCITED!!!!!!! **

******He's coming to Supernova this year in my home city and he's holding a gathering after it's over for his fans and guess who got two tickets this morning!!! OH MY GOD!!!! I NEVER THOUGHT I'D GET A CHANCE TO MEET HIM LET ALONE HANG OUT WITH HIM I'M SO SO SO EXCITED!!! Okay so there will be 48 other people there too but that's it just 50 of us SQUEAL!!!!!**

******Anyway now that I'm done gushing...**

**I head back to UNI this week and I wanted one more chapter up before I went so here it is!!! I did promise our boys would be back this chapter and they are. They are in fact the only ones in this chapter :)**

**WARNING MAJOR EMOTIONAL OVERLOAD AHEAD!!!! Can't say I didn't warn you!!! I will also warn you now Jack is rather un-Jack-like in this chapter but Ianto needed to reach a turning point and I don't think it could have happened any other way. So here we go, thank you so much to all of you who reviewed the last chapter even without the presence of Janto I appreciate it more than you know :).**

**Big thanks go to Socalrose as always for being the greatest Beta alive. Kisses and hugs to you honey :)**

**I'M GOING TO MEET GARETH YIPEE!!!!! sorry couldn't help it LOL.**

**Love and Memories**

Jack, Ianto and Owen arrived back at their room to find the main light left on but no sign of Seeley. Figuring he was already in bed they bid each other goodnight and split off to go to their own rooms.

Ianto lead the way into his room, Jack's hand clasped firmly in his. He pulled the door shut behind them and turned back to slip his arms around the beautiful Canadian's waist as Jack's arms slid around Ianto's back pulling him into a warm, gentle hug. After a few moments Ianto felt Jacks fingers begin to gently stroke up and down his spine and he sighed contentedly, relaxing further into the Canadian's embrace.

"How are you, love?" Jack asked quietly.

"Comfortable," Ianto replied causing Jack to chuckle.

Jack nuzzled Ianto's hair gently before pressing a kiss to the soft brown strands. "Me too," he mumbled quietly. "Unfortunately we still have to shower which means I'm going to have to let you go."

Ianto groaned quietly in disappointment and extricated himself gently from Jack's arms. "Do you want to go first or should I?" he asked the Canadian.

"You can," Jack replied. "I don't mind waiting."

Ianto gave him a warm smile before pressing a kiss to the other boy's lips. "Okay, are you going to stay in here or wait in your room?" he asked.

"I'll wait in my room, that way I can sort through the stuff I bought tonight. If I don't do it now it'll end up on the floor, or under the bed or something," Jack replied with a grin.

Ianto chuckled and gave him another gentle kiss. "Ok," he replied quietly before heading into the cupboard to find something to put on. Jack glided through the cupboard behind him, running a gentle hand though Ianto's hair as he passed. Ianto shivered slightly and turned to watch Jack as he strode through the bathroom to his bedroom closing the door behind him. God he was gorgeous!

Ianto smiled to himself and finished his search pulling a pair of pajama pants and a t-shirt out of the drawer. He then made his way into the bathroom closing the door behind him. Ianto showered quickly, dried, dressed, brushed his teeth and combed his hair before knocking on Jack's bedroom door. Jack called for him to come in and he slipped inside to find Jack sitting at his desk typing something on his computer; a big grin lighting up his features.

"Bathroom's free," Ianto told him quietly before turning to head back to his room not wanting to disturb Jack's privacy.

"Ianto, wait," Jack's voice stopped him before he got more than a few steps and he turned back to face the Canadian with a curious look. "Yeah?"

Jack typed a few more words before closing the program and shutting down the computer. He got up from the chair and made his way over to Ianto, slipping his arms around his waist and kissing him gently. "I just got an e-mail from my best friend back home; turns out he's going to be out of the country while we're on holidays so I have no reason to head back to Canada. Did you have anything planned for your holidays?" Jack asked quietly.

Ianto shook his head. "Not yet, did you have something in mind?" he asked hoping like hell Jack said yes.

"Well I was thinking, Morghan said it stays pretty warm over here until mid to late Autumn so maybe we could go and stay on the Coast for the fortnight, spend a bit of time on the beach," Jack suggested.

Ianto's eyes lit up and he smiled brightly at the Canadian. "Really? That sounds great," he exclaimed happily. "But will there be anything available so close to the holidays? Morghan said the Coast is a really popular holiday spot won't everything be booked out?"

Jack gave him a grin. "Most places probably are, but not where we'll be going, trust me. The only question is do we want to go on our own or do we want to invite the others along? I would love it to just be the two of us, but the place we're going to is really big so even if we invite the others we'll have plenty of time alone together, and that way if we want to have a big party all together we can. Of course it's just a thought; it's up to you if you want to invite the others or even if you want to go at all -"

"Yes," Ianto cut him off excitedly. "I'd love to go and I think inviting the others would be great," he replied with a smile.

Jack smiled back. "Okay, I'll organise it, we can ask the others tomorrow," he announced.

Ianto nodded, his grin widening at the thought of spending two weeks at the beach with Jack. It was going to be so much fun, he was so excited. He leant up to kiss Jack quickly on the lips before pulling out of his grasp and heading for his room.

"I have to e-mail my parents and let them know I won't be home for the holidays. You have your shower and I'll talk to you more when you get out okay," he called excitedly as he disappeared into the bathroom.

He heard Jack chuckle quietly before the Canadian replied, "Okay, love."

Ianto's grin turned into a warm smile at the happiness he heard in Jack's voice. He pulled the bathroom door shut and made his way over to his desk to boot up his computer. He heard Jack moving in the bathroom as the welcome screen came up and by the time he had the e-mail program open he could hear the water running in the shower.

He typed the message to his parents as quickly as he could, saying he'd made plans with his friends and wouldn't be home on the holidays. He told them he'd be staying on the coast but no particulars about where, partly because he didn't know yet and partly because he didn't want Justin to know anything about where he was.

He finished the message and was closing down his computer when a thought occurred to him. In all the excitement he hadn't thought about the fact that staying with Jack would most likely mean sleeping with Jack, in the literal sense of them physically sleeping in the same bed if not more. Was he ready for that? Sex was most definitely out of the question but what about just sleeping with Jack? They'd done it that night after Ianto's nightmare and if Ianto was being honest with himself he'd missed having Jack beside him every night since.

He hadn't had any nightmares while he'd been in bed with Jack; even after he'd fallen asleep he was subconsciously aware of the other boy's presence. He could still feel Jack's arms around him, he could still smell Jack's wondrous scent surrounding him; he could still hear the sound of the other boy's heartbeat drumming away beneath his ear. It was only the tiniest hint of awareness in the back of his mind but Ianto had definitely known Jack was there; he'd felt warm and safe the entire time.

He heard the water turn off in the shower and made his way over to sit on his bed knowing Jack would be in to talk to him soon. The idea of the holiday still excited Ianto immensely and he knew Jack was excited too. He didn't want to put a dampener on Jack's good mood by bringing up sleeping arrangements before they even got there, but maybe if they spoke about it now they could deal with the issue and get it sorted quickly then go back to being excited for the rest of the term.

Ianto sighed, maybe he shouldn't mention it at all, maybe he should just leave it be and see how things turned out on their own. He'd already put so many restrictions on his and Jack's relationship as it was, eventually he was going to have let some of them go or he'd lose the Canadian for sure. He was still worrying over what to do when Jack knocked on his door. He called for Jack to come in and tried his best to school his expression before the other boy could see him and ask what was wrong.

Jack came in holding a small book and grinned at Ianto. "You're awake tonight," he noted happily.

Ianto grinned back. "I am."

Jack made his way over to the bed and crawled across to Ianto's side. As soon as he was close enough he slipped an arm around Ianto's shoulders and held the book up in front of them with his free hand. "I thought you might like to see where we're going," he offered opening the little book, which turned out to be a photo album, to the first page.

The first photo was of a lovely wooden structure right at the edge of a low cliff face overlooking the beach. It was a large building, at least three stories high, constructed of a dark brown wood with dark blue edging around the windows and the roof. The Door was constructed of the same dark wood with decorative glass panels set vertically down its length and standing in front of it was…

"Is that you?" Ianto asked.

Jack grinned and nodded. "Yep that's me, I was five at the time," he replied.

Ianto smiled at his adorable Canadian and looked down at the young boy in the photo once more. He was holding a small white puppy in his arms and grinning like the cat that got the cream.

"Why do I get the feeling you shouldn't have that puppy?" Ianto asked.

Jack's grin grew even wider. "Because my parents said I couldn't have a dog, fortunately they hadn't informed the nanny of that yet," he replied causing Ianto to chuckle.

"So what did you do with the puppy when you got home?" He asked.

"I kept it of course, I just made sure it was hidden whenever my parents came back to visit," Jack replied turning his attention back to the book in his hand. He turned the page carefully to the next picture which afforded a lovely view of the interior.

"It's beautiful, Jack," Ianto complimented. "Did you come here often?" he asked.

Jack shook his head. "Just this once," he replied gently caressing the image with his fingertips.

"Really, why is that?" Ianto asked curiously.

"Because my parents decided they didn't need it anymore and sold it the year after," he replied sadly. "It was my favourite place in the world and they didn't even tell me."

"I'm sorry, Jack, that must have been hard for you," Ianto said softly reaching across to squeeze the hand which was wrapped around his shoulders.

Jack gave him a gentle smile. "Thanks," he whispered. "I can't really blame them for it though; they didn't know how much it meant to me, they were never around to find out." He looked sad for a moment before suddenly perking up a little. "But, as it turns out, when I turned 16 my parents decided I didn't need a nanny anymore and fired the lovely lady who had raised me from infancy. I, in my annoyance, lashed out at them by buying my beach house back with their money and giving it to her, she's been living in it ever since," he announced with a grin.

"Really? That's lovely of you, Jack. Is she going to be there while we're visiting?" Ianto asked.

Jack shook his head. "No, she and her partner are heading overseas the week before to visit family, they won't be back until the week after school resumes," he replied.

Ianto nodded. "That's too bad it would have been nice to meet the woman who raised you," he said with a smile.

"You'll get to meet her don't you worry, in fact she's insisting on it," Jack replied with a grin. "Her last e-mail was very specific about that. _'Jack when I get back I want to meet this lovely young Welsh boy you go on about all the time,' _Jack did an impersonation of his nanny's voice which caused Ianto to laugh at him.

"You go on about me a lot then do you?" Ianto asked with a grin.

"More than you know," Jack replied seriously. His eyes took on an affectionate expression and he reached up to gently stroke Ianto's face. "You don't mind do you?" he asked softly.

Ianto shook his head and returned Jack's gaze. "No," he whispered reaching up to bring Jack's hand to his lips. They gazed at each other for a moment before Jack whispered, "Can I tell you something?"

Ianto nodded. "Of course."

"I know this is probably going to sound incredibly pathetic but . . . I miss you, at night when I'm trying to sleep. I know in the scheme of things you're not that far away but. . . I miss having you in my arms," he confessed his blue/gray eyes searching Ianto's, as they did regularly for any sign that he was upset by what Jack had told him.

Ianto thought for a moment about what Jack had said. It surprised him definitely; he'd thought he was the only one having that problem. If Jack was missing him at night and he was missing Jack didn't it make sense to just end the madness and let it happen? On one hand he definitely wanted to, on the other hand he really didn't.

Sleeping with Jack was one of the most wondrous experiences of his life and he craved the return of that experience greatly. However, they'd only been together for two weeks and most couples, even adult couples who were a hell of a lot more experienced than Ianto, waited a while before making sleeping with their partner a permanent occurrence in their lives. Not to mention it could lead to a lot of other things Ianto wasn't ready to do yet.

Still, despite all the arguments to the contrary, everything in Ianto was telling him to give it a chance. They didn't have a conventional relationship why should he compare it to one? At the same time he didn't want to rush things but who said they would? In fact why was he worrying at all? Jack had been a saint and Ianto trusted him completely, yet something was still worrying him, what was it?

"Ianto are you okay?" Jack asked quietly.

Ianto grinned at Jack's oh so common question. "Yeah I'm fine, sorry I was just thinking," he replied.

"About what?" Jack asked curiously.

"Us," Ianto replied, trying to think of a way to explain what he'd been thinking about. He looked into Jack's eyes for a moment before admitting. "I miss you too. That night we were together was . . . well . . . I can't really think of the right word for it but I really liked it." He took a deep breath before continuing. "I find it hard to sleep without you now. Every night since I've wanted to just give into temptation and ask you to stay with me, but I haven't, for several reasons."

"I would never push you into anything, you know that don't you?" Jack asked the concern evident in his tone.

Ianto nodded. "I know," he reassured the other boy gently. "It's not you I'm worried about so much as myself." The words left his lips without his bidding but he realized immediately that they were absolutely true. He trusted Jack completely; it was himself he was having issues with.

Jack looked at him confused. "What do you mean?" he asked.

Ianto gave Jack a hesitant smile before replying. "You must know how irresistible you are to pretty much everyone who looks at you, myself being among them. I want you, so much, but I'm really not ready for that yet and I know I'm not. What worries me is that if I do give into what I want and spend my nights with you I might do something I regret later. Please understand when I talk about regrets I will never count you as one of them, no matter what happens between us. I care about you, Jack, a lot, I want us to last as long as we can and the only way I can see that happening is if we take time with our relationship and not jump into things before we're both ready for them."

He took one of Jack's hands in his and kissed it gently before continuing. "I trust you, completely, Jack. But you have to understand you are a huge temptation for me and resisting is hard enough under normal circumstances. I don't know how I'd be if you were asleep beside me every night, I'm at my most vulnerable when I'm tired . . . do you understand what I mean?" he asked searching Jack's eyes for any sign of what he might be thinking.

Jack nodded. "I do understand, Ianto, believe me," he replied quietly.

Ianto nodded and looked away, frightened to ask the next question but knowing he had to. "Are you upset with me?" he whispered.

"I am actually, but not for the reasons you probably think," Jack replied causing Ianto's stomach to twist up in nervous knots.

He looked back up at Jack searching his blue/gray eyes once more. "Please tell me why," he asked quietly.

Jack looked back at him for a moment a slightly pained expression on his face before he said. "I don't like how you talk about our relationship as if it's a passing thing, like it's going to just go away one day no matter what we want," Jack explained.

Pain lanced through Ianto as he asked. "Do you honestly think it won't, Jack?"

The moment the question left his lips he saw pain and fear fill Jack's eyes. "What are you saying?" the Canadian asked pulling away from Ianto and climbing off the bed. "Are you telling me you don't care about me? That you don't want us to last? Because I don't understand, I thought we were doing well, I thought . . ."

Guilt surged through Ianto's veins as Jack's eyes filled with tears and the Canadian looked away, a lost expression on his face. This wasn't right; this wasn't how things were supposed to go. Ianto was the one who was supposed to be upset and crying not Jack, how the hell had this happened?

'_You happened you idiot!'_ his mental voice chastised. _'__He__ cares about you, he's been good to you and your stupid insecurities have hurt him. Congratulations you've just been promoted to king of the morons!'_

"I don't understand; what did I do wrong?" Jack's quiet, pain-filled voice brought him swiftly back to the present. Tears burnt his eyes as the Canadian looked at him once more; a pleading look in his tear-filled, blue gray/eyes and asked, "Please tell me, I'll fix it I promise I will."

Ianto flew off the bed and had his beautiful Canadian wrapped up in his arms within seconds. "Oh, Jack I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that, god please don't cry," he begged fighting off his own tears as Jack's arms wrapped hesitantly around him and he sobbed quietly into Ianto's shoulder.

Ianto stroked Jack's back soothingly, pressing gentle kisses to his soft brown hair and whispering quiet words of apology until Jack calmed down. As soon as his sobbing had subsided Ianto pulled away slightly and took Jack's face in his hands, gently wiping the tears away. "I'm sorry," he whispered emphatically. "I didn't mean to hurt you, it's the last thing I ever want to do. I want you always; I never want to let you go. You're everything to me and I know that's a lot for me to say but it's true, nothing in my life is more important to me than you are." He leant his forehead against Jack's, closing his eyes for a moment.

"You're perfect, Jack, insanely so. There is nothing about you that I don't adore, you do everything just right all the time and you make me so happy, you have no idea. I have no intention of ending things between us; the thought of being without you kills me." Ianto took a deep breath to calm himself a little before continuing.

"This fear I have about our relationship, it has nothing to do with you being imperfect it's about me. I look at you so many times every day and your perfection still stuns me. Then I look at me and I honestly can't find anything about myself that would keep you here for a week let alone forever. I don't want you to go, not ever, but my life has never been particularly kind to me and I keep expecting you to disappear. I'm sorry, I shouldn't let my fears upset you, please forgive me," he asked quietly.

Jack searched his eyes for a moment before replying. "I can't, Ianto, not if that's what you think." He took Ianto's hands from his face and brought one of them to rest over his heart. "My heart beats for you now; I need you to understand that. I can't give it to you properly if you think I'm not sincere, or that it's a fleeting affection I feel for you because it's not, Ianto, it couldn't be further from it. I offer myself to you, everything I am right now, for as long as you want me. Either accept me and let go of your doubts or send me away. No one will ever take your place in my heart, but I won't be in a relationship that has no hope of forever. I can't do that, Ianto, it's not who I am," he said softly.

Jack's gaze burnt into him and Ianto felt his eyes tearing once more at the pain he saw in those blue/gray depths. Jack was right; he wasn't being fair to the Canadian. Jack hadn't done a single thing to suggest that he was intending to leave Ianto; in fact there hadn't been a moment they'd spent together where Ianto didn't feel loved and wanted. Jack wanted him, as amazingly incredible as that thought may be it was the truth, and Ianto either had to accept that now or walk away forever. Jack had given him the choice but as far as Ianto was concerned there was only one.

Gripping Jack's hands tightly in his he pulled the other boy toward the bathroom. Jack looked at him curiously but didn't ask what Ianto was doing. Ianto led Jack through the bathroom to the Canadian's bedroom and over to his bed, pulling back the covers and indicating for Jack to climb in before going back to switch off the lights.

When he was done he turned back to face the bed and found Jack sitting on the edge of it watching him with cautious eyes. Ianto walked back over to the bed and stood in front of the other boy reaching out to brush his fingers gently over Jack's cheek.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"What are you doing?" Jack asked in return.

Ianto leant forward and kissed Jack gently on the forehead. "Letting go of my doubts," he whispered as he pulled back and he saw Jack's eyes tear slightly before the Canadian looked down to hide them. Ianto hooked his finger under Jack's chin and gently tilted his face up until they were eye to eye once more. A tear slipped from Jack's eyes and Ianto gently brushed it away before stroking Jack's face once more.

"You don't have to do this," Jack whispered. "You said you didn't want to."

Ianto smiled down at him adoringly. "I said I wasn't ready to make it a nightly occurrence right at the moment. A few every now and again won't hurt us though and I think we both need it right now, don't you?" he asked softly.

Jack gave him a watery smile and climbed back into the bed, holding his arms out to Ianto once he was settled. Ianto climbed in after him and slid comfortably into Jack's arms pulling the blanket up to their waists and resting his head over Jack's heart. Jack's arms closed around him and Ianto sighed contentedly relaxing in the embrace.

After a few moments Jack spoke. "Thank you," he said quietly.

"For what, cariad?" Ianto asked quietly.

"Everything," Jack replied simply and Ianto noticed Jack didn't question him about the Welsh term.

"You have nothing to thank me for, Jack," Ianto replied leaning up to press a gentle kiss to Jack's throat. "But you're welcome all the same."

Jack's arms tightened around him and Ianto bit back a groan at how good it felt being held so close to Jack's body. They lay there in comfortable silence for a few minutes before Jack's voice broke it again.

"Ianto, are you still awake?" he asked.

"Yeah I am what's wrong?" Ianto asked.

"Nothing's wrong I just wanted to tell you something," Jack replied.

"Okay, what is it?" Ianto asked

"I love you," the Canadian quietly replied and Ianto's heart began to race in his chest. "I said it to you the other night but you didn't mention it at all so I figured you must have been asleep and I wanted to make sure you were awake this time before I said it. I know this relationship is only new and I understand if you can't say it back to me yet. I thought about waiting a while longer before I told you, but after the night we've had I wanted you to know how I feel about you, I didn't want there to be any doubts." He explained before falling silent once more.

Ianto lay silently in Jack's arms for a moment, his brain struggling to compute what the other boy had just said. Jack was right their relationship was only new but Ianto could feel it too, he was completely in love with Jack. He'd been falling for him since the moment they met but even though it had slipped out of his mouth earlier that very evening he'd thought it would take months before he fell all the way. He was slowly coming to realize he'd been wrong.

"Ianto are you okay?" Jack asked quietly.

Ianto took a deep breath and pulled out of Jack's arms. Pushing himself up with his elbows he slid up until his face was hovering above Jack's. He gazed into the Canadian's blue/gray eyes for a moment before leaning down to kiss him. It was a sweet, gentle kiss, enough to express his feelings but not enough to fire up the lust he felt for the gorgeous Canadian. When he pulled away he gazed lovingly down at the beautiful boy beneath him and whispered. "I love you too, Jack."

Jack returned Ianto's smile with one of his own reaching up to gently stroke Ianto's face, tears once more sparkling in his blue/gray eyes.

Ianto gave him another gentle kiss and pressed his forehead against Jack's for a moment before sliding back down and curling his body around the Canadian's once more. Jack's arms slid around him, holding him securely against the Canadian's lovely, well muscled frame.

Ianto closed his eyes allowing himself to be lulled to sleep by the soft, melodic rhythm of Jack's heart beat. The promise he'd made to Jack that night was going to be a hard one to keep but the Canadian had been right. If he didn't trust that their relationship was going to work then he was wasting Jack's time and that wasn't fair.

Jack loved him, even the thought of that made him giddy, and he deserved Ianto's complete trust and devotion. It was going to be a challenge for him, especially with someone like Gwen around, but he would just have to ignore her, remind himself that Jack loved him whenever she or anything else dragged him down. It would be hard, very hard, but he could do it, he could get past his doubts for Jack.

His mind wandered back to something he'd read once, about how someone who's not a strong person by nature can suddenly feel so much stronger when someone they love needs them. Ianto had never considered himself a strong person, but knowing Jack needed him to be made all the things that usually frightened him seem insignificant, even if only or a little while.

That night Ianto dreamt only about Jack.

--

So what did we think?? I know this chapter was a bit emotionally heavy and my young characters are incredibly mature for their age but I think with the lives they've lead up until now they'd be far more mature then most people would expect. Please review I love them so much!!!

I'M MEETING GARETH OH MY GOD!!!! sorry getting carried away again can't help it :)

Kisses and hugs and all things shiny.

Kayla


	12. The Things we do for Love

Hi everyone how are we??? Thank you so much for all the lovely reviews I'm sorry I haven't replied I've been so busy with UNI and my mum's birthday but I sent this off to my beta a few days ago and I just got it back so I'm posting it up ASAP. I will reply to your reviews as soon as I'm finished my UNI work tonight.

Big thanks to Socalrose as always for being the best beta alive :)

I've nearly been married for a year YAY!!!!!

**The Things we do for Love**

Ianto took a sip from the cup of coffee in his hands and smiled, perfect as always. He turned his attention to the lovely piece of equipment from which the divine coffee had come and his smile grew wider as his thoughts flew to the lovely man who'd bought it for him. Jack loved him, really loved him, the thought made him feel warm instantly.

He was pulled out of his reverie as two strong arms slid around him from behind and he felt himself being pulled back into a warm body.

"Hi," Jack's voice whispered in his ear.

"Hi," Ianto replied quietly. "How was your shower?" he asked.

"It was fine, how was yours?" Jack asked.

"Yeah fine," Ianto replied turning his face to the side so he could look at Jack. He gazed into Jack's lovely blue/gray eyes for a moment before pressing his lips softly to the Canadian's. He felt one of Jack's hands slide up to cup his face as he kissed him back, his thumb gently stroking Ianto's cheek.

"Get a room you two," Seeley called out jokingly as he made his way over to the pair.

They ended their kiss and Jack replied, "We're in a room in case you haven't noticed."

Seeley just chuckled and leant on the sink next to Ianto. "Not meaning to interrupt but I'd kill for a cup of coffee and I don't want to touch the coffee maker in case I break it. Please, Ianto?" he asked sweetly.

Ianto chuckled quietly and pulled gently out of Jack's grasp to grab some mugs. "Do you want some too, Jack?" he asked.

"Is water wet?" Jack asked in reply causing Ianto to chuckle some more.

"Does someone want to ask Owen if he wants a cup too while I'm making it?" Ianto asked and Seeley made his way over to knock on Owen's door.

"Yes," the Russian called out.

"Do you want coffee?" Seeley called through to him.

"Hell yes!" Owen called back causing the others to grin knowingly.

Ianto made the drinks and after making sure Seeley and Jack had theirs he took Owen's to his door and knocked. "Owen, can I come in?" he asked.

"Sure, Ianto," Owen replied and Ianto slipped through the door.

He found Owen sitting on his bed reading something on his phone. "Coffee," he announced and the Russian boy gave him an appreciative smile as he took the cup from him.

"You are a god send thank you," he said taking a sip of the warm beverage. His smile grew wider, "You are so good at that," he complimented.

"Thank you," Ianto replied, "Is everything okay?" he asked looking pointedly at the phone in Owen's hand.

"I don't know," Owen replied looking back down at the text message on his phone. "Hey, how well do you know Morghan?" he asked looking back up at Ianto again.

Ianto shrugged. "About as well as I know any of the girls, why do you ask?"

Owen's brow furrowed in concern and he looked down at his phone again. "My sister has a thing for her but it seems she might have upset her last night," he replied with a sigh.

"She didn't seem like her usual chatty self on the way home," Ianto noted. "What happened?" he asked.

Owen shook his head. "I don't know the message doesn't go into detail. I guess I'll have to ask her at breakfast which thankfully isn't far away," he replied closing his phone

"No it's not," Ianto agreed turning to head back out to the common room. "I'll leave you to finish getting ready."

"Thanks for the coffee," Owen called out causing Ianto to grin.

"You're welcome," he called back closing Owen's door behind him.

Seeley was nowhere to be seen when Ianto re-entered the common room, Jack however was leaning against the sink looking down at his coffee thoughtfully.

"Did I make it wrong?" Ianto asked moving to stand in front of him.

Jack's eyes snapped up at the sound of Ianto's voice as if he'd been a million miles away. "Huh?" he asked quietly.

Ianto studied him for a moment before repeating his question.

"Oh no, not at all," Jack replied quickly. "Sorry I was just thinking."

"Are you okay, Jack?" Ianto asked causing the other boy to smile slightly.

"Look – you got to ask me for once," he pointed out causing Ianto to chuckle.

"I did at that, I knew I'd get there eventually," he replied allowing them both a moment to grin about it before becoming serious once more. "Really though, are you okay?" he asked softly.

Jack's gaze met his for a moment before he looked down at his cup again and mumbled. "I'm sorry, Ianto."

Ianto looked at him confused. "For what, cariad?" he asked.

Jack's gaze returned to his and Ianto could see the guilt in his normally bright blue/gray eyes. "I promised you that day on the lookout that you could lead our relationship, I had no right to make demands of you like I did last night. I don't know what came over me I just . . ." he sighed, his brow furrowing as if he were struggling to work something out in his head. "I just got so scared of losing you. I'm not normally like that but I've never loved anybody before."

He looked down at his cup again for a moment, taking a deep breath before his gaze returned to Ianto. "Anyway I guess it doesn't really matter why I did it, I promise I won't do it again, can you forgive me?" he asked hesitantly, as if he were expecting Ianto to be mad at him.

Ianto studied his face for a moment before replying. "No, I can't forgive you, Jack because you haven't done anything wrong." He took Jack's drink from his hand and put both their mugs down on the bench. He slid his arms around Jack's waist and kissed the beautiful Canadian before pulling away and giving him a loving but pointed look.

"As you may recall I agreed to lead our relationship only with the proviso that you ask when you want something. Now I thought we both agreed to this, are you telling me I'm mistaken and you've not been asking me when you want something?" he asked gently.

Jack shook his head. "No, but I didn't exactly ask last night did I?" he argued quietly.

"Admittedly not," Ianto agreed. "But you were upset, Jack; no one thinks clearly when they're upset and as much as I hated seeing you like that you had every right to be. As for your request, and yes I'm going to call it that because I hate the word ultimatum, you were right. I wasn't being fair to you, but I will be better, at least I'll try to be anyway," he promised.

"Do you really think I'm going to leave you?" Jack asked a mixture of sadness and concern in his voice.

"No," Ianto replied although he could tell instantly Jack wasn't fooled. Ianto sighed in defeat, "Okay I'm trying not to," he admitted. "I'm sorry I can't change overnight I -"

He was cut off by Jack's lips as the Canadian pulled him into a heart-stopping kiss. Ianto groaned quietly sliding his fingers up into Jack's hair. At the first teasing brush of Jack's tongue Ianto opened to him and Jack's arms tightened around him crushing their bodies together while Ianto's hands fisted tightly in Jack's hair pulling him closer. Ianto was trapped, he couldn't move more than an inch in any direction; Jack was in complete control. He waited for himself to panic but it didn't happen, in fact he felt wonderful.

When lack of oxygen became a problem Jack released Ianto's mouth but leaned his forehead against Ianto's. "Never," he whispered between breaths. "I don't know how it is that you can't see the extraordinarily beautiful creature you are but I can, and I will never let you go, not unless you tell me to. I wish so badly that you could see yourself through my eyes, Ianto, you would never worry about any of this again."

Ianto responded by pressing his lips to Jack's once more, a softer, gentler version of the kiss Jack had initiated but with just as much feeling behind it. He brought the kiss to an end and with his lips still ghosting over Jack's he whispered, "I love you, Jack Harkness."

"I love you, Ianto Jones," Jack whispered bringing his lips back to Ianto's for another gentle kiss.

After their kiss, Ianto cuddled into his beautiful Canadian, pressing his nose into Jack's neck so he could breathe in the other boy's perfect scent. He felt one of Jack's hands slide up into his hair and the Canadian buried his face in Ianto's soft, brown curls. They stayed like that for several minutes simply enjoying the contact before Owen's voice interrupted them.

"Sorry to intrude guys but it's time for breakfast," the Russian informed them quietly.

The pair gave him a nod and pulled away. They shared an adoring smile before following Owen and Seeley out into the corridor pulling the door closed behind them.

Elena was already at the dining hall seated between Martha and Katie when they arrived and looking more than a little glum. The rest of their group hadn't arrived yet which was probably a good thing since Ianto doubted Elena wanted them all to see her upset.

Owen made his way immediately to her side and she jumped up from her chair to give him a hug. They spoke quietly in Russian for a few moments before heading outside where they could talk privately.

Once they were gone Martha turned worried eyes on Katie. "What do you think happened?" she asked.

Katie shrugged. "I don't know, one moment we were trying on swimmers, the next Morghan was disappearing to run errands supposedly and Elena wasn't talking to anyone," she replied.

Martha bit her lip in concern. "They were both really quiet when they got home, Morghan barely acknowledged me when she walked into the room," she noted quietly.

"Well there's no point worrying over it when we don't know the details. I'm sure Owen will be able to help, let's just get something to eat and let him deal with it, hey," Katie suggested.

Martha agreed and followed Katie over to the food. Jack, Ianto and Seeley followed behind them, concerned about Elena but knowing Katie was right. They got their breakfast and headed back to the table just as Angela, Tosh and Temperance arrived.

"Hey have you guys seen Morghan this morning?" Tosh asked.

The others shook their heads. "No, she hadn't surfaced yet," Martha replied. "Does it have anything to do with whatever happened between her and Elena last night?" she asked.

Tosh and Angela nodded while Temperance just looked confused.

"Okay so what happened?" Martha asked. "Elena wouldn't talk about it at all but she was definitely upset."

Angela reiterated the previous night's events, finishing off with, "I think Elena was just surprised, but when she jumped away from Morghan like that and went out of her way to stress that nothing was going . . . well, Morghan looked like someone had just run over her dog."

"Wow, no wonder they were upset last night," Martha said quietly.

The others nodded in agreement, falling silent for a moment. Suddenly Martha piped up with. "Hey it's Ray and Morghan."

The group looked toward the door to find their friends walking in together, engaged in an in-depth conversation about . . . something.

Ray's gaze fell on the group and saw them all staring at Morghan. Their concern must have been obvious because Ray stopped Morghan and said something to her, indicating toward the food with her hands. Morghan nodded in agreement to whatever it was Ray had said and headed over to the food area while Ray continued on toward the group. As soon as she was close enough to be heard without having to speak loudly she said.

"Morghan doesn't want to talk about it so please don't bring it up it'll just upset her."

"Is she okay?" Tosh asked.

Ray shrugged. "She's as fine as she can be; she's dealing with it in her own way. Please don't act all weird around her, just be normal okay that's all she needs." She stressed her words as much as she could while still talking quietly.

"Okay," Tosh, Angela and Martha agreed quietly and Ray headed over to the food to join Morghan.

They returned a few minutes later and slid into chairs next to Ianto. "Is everyone looking forward to tomorrow?" Morghan asked.

The rest of the group smiled and murmured agreements to the young Aussie.

"Hey what sort of slides do they have at Wet and Wild?" Martha asked and Ianto was sure it was her attempt to keep anyone from mentioning anything they shouldn't.

"Oh, well there's Terror Canyon one and two where you get into a big blow up tube with another person behind you and slide through a dark tunnel with absolutely no idea where you're going, then there's the Black Hole which is a similar concept only darker, faster and scarier. There's Mammoth Falls where there's six of you in a big round raft and you go down this twisty, half pipe slide and every time you take a corner half of you end up sliding up the side of the half pipe … that one's kind of hard to describe you'll just have to see it," she replied with a grin.

"There's an aqua racer where eight of you go down together and see who reaches the bottom first," Ray continued. "There's one where you go down a long tube and get spat out into a giant funnel, that one is awesome but very cold. There are tons of other rides too, but my favourite place is Calypso Beach."

"Oh yeah mine too," Morghan agreed. "I know it's going to sound sad but it's true. It's this bit in the park where you jump into a blow up ring and float around in a man-made current surrounded by trees and sand," Morghan explained with a peaceful smile on her face.

"Ooh that does sound good," Tosh agreed.

"It's great, particularly when you've just eaten and you're waiting for your food to settle," Ray added.

"So what else is there?" Angela asked.

"Well there's the Surfrider and the Kamikaze which is new so I don't know much about it yet, there's. . . ."

Thankfully it seemed Morghan was too busy talking about rides to notice when Elena and Owen returned from their conversation, and once she was done explaining all the slides she could remember, the table was full of the rest of the group and she was back to describing the one's she'd started with.

When the bell rang for their first class she headed off with Ray, Seeley and Jack to chemistry, seemingly oblivious to the sad looks Elena was throwing her way.

--

Ray arrived in Geography that afternoon to find Owen, Mickey, Tosh and Rhys already there waiting. Her gaze met Owen's and she could see the same thought flying through his head as was currently going through hers. She reached the bag-racksand put her stuff down just as Owen reached her and asked, "Care to accompany me to the drinking fountain?" he motioned to the fountain at the end of the building they were about to enter, far enough away from the rest of their class to talk in private.

"Yes," she agreed and they headed down to the fountain together.

As soon as they got there Ray said, "Okay so I have to ask, does your sister like my friend or not? Because I was positive she did until Morghan told me what happened last night."

Owen nodded. "She does; more than I've ever seen her like anyone to be honest," he replied.

"So what happened last night?" Ray asked.

"It's a bit of a long story," Owen replied. "The general gist is my sister had feelings for a girl back home once. She never told her out of fear of rejection but one day they were alone together and the other girl just kissed her out of the blue. Elena had just started to kiss her back when some other girls walked in on them and freaked out. The other girl immediately pulled away from Elena and told her she was disgusting and called her names. Elena was teased and taunted about it for a long time."

"So you think when Angela and Tosh walked in on them last night Elena just remembered what happened to her that day and freaked out?" Ray asked.

Owen nodded. "Elena didn't mean to hurt Morghan I swear to you, she wouldn't do that," he promised.

"I didn't think she would," Ray reassured the young Russian. "Despite what you might think I've been trying to convince Morghan to talk to your sister about what happened but she won't. She's too upset and far too stubborn," Ray grumbled.

"Well really she shouldn't have to be the one to initiate the talking. Elena upset her not the other way around, it's only fair that Elena be the one to fix it," Owen argued.

Ray shrugged. "Maybe," she conceded. "It doesn't really matter anyway if we can't get them to speak," she pointed out.

"If Elena were to try and talk to her would she listen?" Owen asked.

"Only if you could find a way to keep her from escaping before Elena tried," Ray replied as the teacher arrived to open up the classroom.

"Guess we'll have to work on that," Owen stated thoughtfully as they collected their stuff and headed in.

"Guess we will," Ray agreed.

--

The last lesson that day was ancient history and the group was given their assignment they needed to have submitted by the end of term. Once the lesson was over they made their way into the library to look up some information figuring that once they had it they could focus entirely on Wet and Wild until Sunday.

They did the usual research on the computers and once Ianto found some relevant text he headed up to the second level of the library to look for it. As he climbed the stairs he thought about the first time he'd made his way up to the second level on his own and grimaced as he remembered Gwen's words from that day and how they'd cut him.

He shook it off as he reached the top reminding himself of his promise to Jack and the words Jack had said in his defence that day.

"Oi! Look who we have here; it's my competition and for once he's all alone." The sound of Gwen's voice stopped him in his tracks and he turned to find her standing over near the end of a row of books sneering at him.

He sighed and shook his head, had she seriously just called him '**her'** competition? Intending to ignore her and look for the book he needed he headed in the direction of one of the other rows. He heard her footsteps following him and groaned internally, would she ever just go away?

"You're not good enough for him, Ianto. No matter what you think or what he's told you, you and I both know it's not going to last! I mean look at you, you're this tiny, skinny, little runt of a boy with weird front teeth and skin so white you're practically albino. You have nothing at all to offer someone like Jack who's gorgeous and buff and could have anyone he looked at. Seriously, aren't you frightened that he's going to get bored with you and move on? Aren't you worried about the fight you're going to have to put up to keep him for the entire time you're together? You're not built for that, Ianto, you're not a fighter. You can't hold on to someone like Jack you're not strong enough," she taunted him.

Ianto closed his eyes, fighting to block out her words so they wouldn't get to him but it was hard. He'd never been confident in himself and all the negative traits she was bringing up about him were all the things he'd always hated most about himself. He didn't want to let her get to him, but how could he stop it when he knew in his heart that she was right?

'_By thinking about Jack instead of yourself' _his mental voice supplied for him. _'You love Jack, you care about Jack! She doesn't care about him, she just wants a trophy boy to drag along to parties and show off to other people to make her look good. Jack doesn't need that; if he did he would never have pursued you in the first place. Jack needs love and understanding, he needs someone who will always be there for him not some pretty little bimbo who cares about no one but herself. You may not be perfect but you can do that, you can be what he needs in ways she never could and you know you can. That's how you stop her from getting to you, focus on Jack and how important he is to you. When you do that, you'll realise her words are just as hollow as her black heart."_

Ianto cursed himself mentally, how could he have been so blind? The answer was right in front of him the whole time how had he not seen it? Jack loved him; Jack needed him; that was all that mattered, why had he never realized it before?

"You're very quiet there, Ianto," Gwen spoke again. "You're realizing I'm right aren't you?" she sneered.

A smile came to Ianto's face as he turned around to face her at last. "Actually no, in fact you couldn't be more wrong you scheming, selfish, manipulative little girl." The words were spoken quietly and in an even tone, but he knew they would come across exactly how he meant them to. And he was right; the look of shock on her face would provide him with no small amount of satisfaction for a very long time to come.

"What – what did you just call me?" she stuttered her question obviously still in shock.

"You heard me," he replied in that same even tone. "I know you think that I'm nothing more than a notch on Jack's bedpost but I don't care. You don't know me and you don't know him; if you did you'd realize that if Jack wanted someone like you he would have chosen you to set his sights on in the first place. You'll notice however that he didn't and that's because Jack doesn't want a little hussy to fool around with between the sheets. He had plenty of those back home and as you so eloquently pointed out he could have plenty more here and yet he chose me, the plain, boring and whatever other adjectives you used to describe me, Welsh boy to give his affection to. Did you ever stop to wonder why that is, Gwen? Well of course you didn't because wondering is thinking and you don't think about anyone but yourself.

Jack chose me because he's not vapid and shallow like you. He sees me for who I am and not what I am and if you ever hope to have any kind of real relationship in your life you'll learn to do the same. Whatever you might think of me doesn't matter, what matters is what Jack thinks of me and point of fact, Jack loves me – bet you didn't see that one coming did you? Now I don't know what your damage is and I honestly don't care, you won't take Jack away from me no matter what you say or do, so move on before you embarrass yourself more than you already have."

Gwen just stood there for a moment staring at him, her mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water as she struggled to think of something to say. Finally she let out an angry growl and stormed off with a, "This isn't over!" snarled over her shoulder.

"Grow up, Gwen," he called after her before turning back to look for the aisle he needed. He hadn't gotten more than a few steps before two strong hands were grasping his arms and whirling him around. He had only moments to process what was happening before he found himself being thoroughly kissed.

He felt himself beginning to panic and he almost pushed his assailant away in fear. Fortunately he managed to calm himself enough to take a breath and Jack's exquisite scent filled his senses. His body relaxed instantly and he slid his hands up into Jack's hair, kissing him back and allowing Jack's tongue to tease his mouth open.

When lack of oxygen became a problem they broke apart. Jack's hands slid up into Ianto's hair and he rested his forehead against Ianto's as they caught their breath. "I love you," Jack whispered between breaths. "And I'm so proud of you for what you just did."

Ianto realized Jack must have heard what he'd just said to Gwen and he felt himself blush.

Jack pulled back slightly and cupped Ianto's face in his hands, a grin lighting up his features when he saw the blush. "That was masterful, Ianto, truly," Jack complimented, "and you were absolutely right about everything you said. Except the whole being plain part, you are far from plain, Ianto believe me. As far as the rest of it goes you were dead on. You are exactly what I want and what I need all wrapped up in one irresistibly adorable package. I love you, Ianto Jones, you are everything to me and I'm so very happy you see that now," He finished with a proud smile.

Ianto smiled back at him and leant up to press a much gentler kiss to Jack's perfect lips. When he pulled away he looked up into Jack's eyes for a moment before saying. "I promised I would try didn't I?"

Jack nodded in reply.

"Like I said this morning I can't change overnight, but I can try and get better a bit at a time," Ianto said gently stroking Jack's back.

Jack's smile grew wider. "And you're doing beautifully, love," he complimented softly bringing their lips together once more.

--

end of chapter 12

GO IANTO!!! sorry I was so happy for him during this chapter!! Sorry for the late review replies I really suck at keeping up with you all don't I!!! I will get to them soon. Please keep reviewing I am so totally adicted and I need my fix!!!

Kayla


	13. Bikinis Board Shorts and SPF30

Hi everyone I'm back. Sorry so much for all my lovely reviewers that I've yet to reply to I know I promised I would and my holidays from UNI are almost over but I was struck down with a nasty flu my last week of term so a lot of my holidays have been taken up with catching up on work and cleaning yay :( Anyway I got this back form me Beta a little while ago but I've been too busy to do any more than glance at it until now so I've haven't posted it sooner, sorry I know you must have been waiting. ANyway here it is I hope you enjoy it.

Thank you so much for my lovely reviews I know I haven't replied but believe me when I tell you I love them more than you know and wouldn't be anywhere near as interested in writing if I didn't have all your lovely support so thank you and please keep reviewing!!!

Big thanks to Socalrose for her lovely Betaing.

FYI Sunscreen=sunblock

Holden= Opel (it's a car brand for anyone who doesn't know that, Opel is the European brand Holden is it's Australian equivalent)

anything you're confused about let me know. Also can't remember if I mentioned it earlier but Wet and Wild is a real place if you want to Google it you can see a bit of what I'm talking about.

**supanova is this weekend I'm meeting GDL in just a few short days OMG I'm so excited!!!**

**Bikinis, Board Shorts and SPF30+**

Dinner time arrived all too quickly and the group made their way over to the dining hall. To say excitement was in the air would be the understatement of the century and a great deal of their food lay untouched as they chatted excitedly about tomorrow's water park trip. At one point during the evening, when all eyes were on Morghan and she was describing previous trips to Wet and Wild, Ianto noticed Ray and Owen sneaking out of the dining hall, a conspiratorial look in their eyes.

To say Ianto was curious would have fallen far short of the truth, but he refused to speculate as to their activities knowing both of his friends were in happy relationships and would do nothing to jeopardise what they had. He watched the door out of the corner of his eye until the pair re-entered the room looking all too pleased with themselves, and Owen immediately headed for Elena. Ah, now it made sense. He watched Elena's face change from desolate, as it had been all day, to hopeful, and Ianto couldn't help but smile at the way Owen was doing everything he could to help his little sister.

For a moment he wondered what his life would have been like if Justin had been like that rather than the evil, abusive bastard he really was. As it was however his musing lasted mere seconds as he discovered he couldn't even begin to imagine what that would have been like, he just couldn't picture Justin being nice … to anyone.

He turned his attention back to the siblings and the smile returned. While he may envy them the connection they had he would never feel any bitterness toward them for it. He was happy for them, they were lovely people and they deserved to have each other looking out for them. He just wished he knew what it was like.

When dinner was finally over the group all headed back to their dorms; fully intending to get the best nights sleep possible so they could enjoy their outing the next day. As usual the guys dropped the girls off at their dorm before heading for their own. As they crossed the short distance that separated the dormitories Jack slipped back to talk to Mickey about something and Seeley and Owen slipped in on either side of Ianto.

Ianto smiled over at Owen, thinking once again what a nice person he was and the other boy looked at him curiously.

"What?" he asked.

Ianto shook his head. "Nothing, I was just thinking how lucky you and Elena are to have each other. I saw you scheming with Ray earlier I'm assuming it has something to do with Elena and Morghan," Ianto elaborated when Owen looked puzzled.

Owen grinned. 'It does at that," he replied. "We've formulated a plan now we just have to see if we can make it happen."

"Anything I can do to help?" Ianto asked.

Owen thought about it. "Not right at the moment but I'll let you know if there is," he replied with a grin.

"Cool," Ianto replied with a nod.

They walked in silence for a moment before Seeley asked. "So I'm assuming you don't have siblings then, Ianto?"

Ianto immediately shook his head; he would never consider Justin a sibling. "No unfortunately not, do you?" he asked Seeley in return.

The American nodded. "Yeah, a brother. His name's Jarred and he's a pain in the ass but I miss him a lot. It's funny you never realize how important some people are to you until they're not there every day, we fight like you wouldn't believe but I can't wait until midyear break when I get to go home and see him."

"So you're not going home at Easter?" Ianto asked.

Seeley shook his head. "I wanted to but my parents have only allotted me enough money for one trip home during the year and they're spending Easter at my grandparents' house surrounded by the whole family. And while some people might think that's awesome I'd rather go midyear when it's just them. I know it probably sounds weird but if I'm only home two weeks of this year I'd rather it be two nice, relaxing weeks where I can actually spend time with my immediate family rather than two weeks of cousins, aunties, grandparents, uncles, and arguments which always ensue at our family gatherings."

"Oh no, that doesn't sound weird at all I completely understand," Ianto assured him. "My dad's remarried and whenever we have family gatherings we have to try and find a way to get both families to come together without bloodshed, it's quite a challenge."

Owen laughed. "Yeah I know what you mean too my family's huge," he replied. "You never get any peace when they're around."

"I'm definitely jealous of you two though, regardless of who else you might have to put up with at least you have your siblings. I'll never have that, you're both so lucky," Ianto said with a wistful smile.

"Yeah, I have to agree I am lucky," Owen admitted.

"Yeah you and Elena are like the perfect brother and sister, you never seem to fight, how do you do it?" Seeley demanded.

Owen laughed. "We do fight…well…not so much lately I guess, but we do fight, all siblings do."

Ianto resisted the urge to shudder as he thought about the 'fights' he'd had with Justin over the years.

"I think we get along so well here because here we're all we've got," Owen explained. "We also don't really see each other enough to have anything to fight over; it's easier when you don't live together."

"True," Seeley agreed.

"Still, fights or not I'd never trade Elena in for anyone. I love her to bits, and yes, I'm man enough to admit it," Owen finished with a determined expression causing the other two to laugh.

"You know what I think, Owen?" Seeley asked when the laughter had died down once more.

"What's that?" Owen asked in return.

"I think we should adopt Ianto while we're here, make him our honorary brother so he has the siblings he's always wanted," Seeley suggested with a grin.

"You know what I think I agree," Owen replied and before Ianto could say anything he had both boys' arms around him and he was being towed back to the dorm in a rather awkward group hug.

Ianto was more than a little uncomfortable; he'd never allowed anyone other than Jack to invade his personal space since Justin had barged his way into it all those years ago. Somehow however, having Owen and Seeley so close to him wasn't as bad as he'd expected. He didn't want the experience to become a nightly occurrence by any stretch of the imagination, but he didn't absolutely hate it like he'd expected to.

Seeley and Owen were chatting to him about brotherly things when they finally reached their door and Jack caught up with them. Owen and Seeley released him so they could get through the door and before they could pounce on him again Jack's arms were winding around him possessively.

"I think it's my turn by now, you two had him all the way back," was Jack's argument, but while it was delivered good naturedly and with a smile, Ianto could feel the tension in his boyfriend's strong frame.

Seeley gave a mock sigh. "Well okay then, if you put it that way. Good night, Jack, goodnight, little brother," he called with a grin before disappearing into his room and shutting the door.

Owen called out something very similar before heading into his own room for the night.

Jack switched of the main light before pulling Ianto toward the Canadian's room. Once they were through the door Jack shut it behind them and pulled Ianto's body flush against his. Despite his concern for his boyfriend Ianto found himself having to stifle a gasp at how good it felt to be so close to the lovely Canadian. No matter how many times Jack held him it still sent a thrill through his blood.

He took a moment to calm himself before asking. "What's wrong, cariad?"

Jack sighed and lifted a hand to gently stroke Ianto's hair. "It's nothing, love," he replied quietly.

When Ianto pulled back and gave him a look that clearly stated he didn't believe a word Jack had just said, he let out another quiet sigh and confessed, "I don't like other people touching you okay. I know it sounds petty and possessive, I don't own you, you can do what you like and I know Seeley and Owen were just giving you a brotherly hug, confused on that part by the way you'll have to explain it to me later," he added with a quizzical expression on his face. "I know it was nothing and I know how stupid it sounds, I just … I don't know, I just like the fact that my arms are the only ones that get to hold you. I like that you're mine and no one else gets to touch you like I do." Jack shook his head and looked away.

"Like I said it's petty and stupid just ignore me okay," he moved to pull away but Ianto wouldn't let him go.

"Hey, look at me," Ianto quietly demanded. Jack's gaze met his and Ianto gave him a warm smile. "It's okay to be jealous sometimes, Jack, and if it makes you feel any better I'm not wildly fond of other people touching me either."

A ghost of a smile touched Jack's lips and he said. "I don't get jealous, well at least I never have before. What have you done to me, Ianto Jones?" he asked pulling Ianto close and pressing a gentle kiss to his forehead.

Ianto closed his eyes and snuggled himself deeper into Jack's arms. "I don't know," he replied. "Should I try and undo it?"

"No, never," Jack replied lifting a hand up to gently stroke Ianto's face. Ianto all but purred in response, bringing one of his own hands up to stroke Jack's spine.

"Cara 'ch, Cariad," he found the words leaving his lips before he even realised they were there.

"I love you too, sweetheart," Jack replied and Ianto froze. Had Jack actually understood him or was he just guessing what Ianto had said to him?

"Jack, have you been learning Welsh?" he asked quietly.

Jack chuckled. "No, Morghan has though. Apparently one of her ancestors is Welsh and she wants to go there when she's finished school and visit some of her family so she's been learning the language. I asked her one day how to say it and she told me, I was hoping I'd get a chance to say it to you eventually but it sounds so much better when you say it so I think I'll just stick to English," he finished with a wry smile.

Ianto laughed, no wonder Jack hadn't questioned him about being called Cariad the night before, but then, did that mean…? He pulled back and looked at Jack accusingly. "You knew what I said to you in the change room last night didn't you?" he asked feeling more than a little stupid.

Jack looked at him sheepishly. "Kinda, I thought that's what you said but I didn't hear you properly so when you told me you'd said something different…" he trailed off and looked at Ianto apologetically. "Are you upset with me?" he asked.

Ianto groaned and buried his face in Jack's shoulder. "No, I just feel monumentally stupid," he replied.

"Why?" Jack asked.

"Because if I knew you'd understood me I would have … I don't know, done something else." Ianto honestly had no idea what he would have done except maybe die of embarrassment.

"Why did you tell me you said something else anyway?" Jack asked.

"I can't tell you," Ianto replied.

"Why not?" Jack asked.

"You'll be upset with me," Ianto replied.

"No I won't, Ianto, come on tell me, please," Jack asked as sweetly as he could.

Ianto sighed. "I didn't think you'd want me to say it yet, especially in front of all those girls," he mumbled into Jack's shoulder. "I told you you'd be upset with me," he added when he felt Jack tense.

"I'm not upset with you," Jack assured him. "I'm sad you felt that way but that's all. Besides, after hearing you tell Gwen just how wrong she is this afternoon I can't be anything but in awe of you right now. You're an amazing person, Ianto Jones, and I love you so much."

A rush of warmth filled Ianto at the sound of Jack's words and he pulled back from the lovely man just enough to take his face in his hands and kiss him. Jack kissed him back his hands sliding up to caress Ianto's neck, his thumbs gently stroking Ianto's jaw.

Ianto was floating on a happy cloud of bliss, Jack's body felt so amazing against his, his lips were so soft and gentle and his fingers left burning trails in their wake. He heard himself gasp quietly as one of Jack's thumbs grazed a particularly sensitive spot on his neck and he deepened the kiss pulling Jack impossibly closer at the same time. Suddenly Ianto felt Jack's lips pull away from his and he looked up at his boyfriend in concern. "What's wrong?" he asked quietly.

Jack had pulled back from the kiss but not from Ianto, his hands slid slowly down from Ianto's face to grasp his arms gently. "I have to stop," he whispered.

Ianto opened his mouth to ask why but immediately shut it again, with Jack's body still pressed up against his the why was pretty obvious. "Oh," he said quietly suddenly realizing he wasn't fairing any better. He took a deep breath and pointed toward the bathroom door. "I think I should go … in there," he quietly decided and pulled away from Jack not seeing the look of worry on his boyfriend's face.

He made his way into the bathroom and shut the door behind him, turning on the shower to as cold a temperature as he could stand. He got rid of his clothing as quickly as he could before jumping under the spray only just managing not to yelp as the cold water touched his overheated skin. He waited impatiently for his body to react to the cold and was very grateful when it didn't take long. As soon as his body was calm enough he turned the heat up a bit and washed as quickly as possible.

What had just happened between him and Jack was inevitable and he knew it. He also knew that he should probably be concerned by how quickly his body had reacted to Jack's but the truth was he really wasn't, in fact it was quite the opposite. His reaction to Jack showed him something very important, that he trusted his boyfriend enough to feel completely relaxed around him all the time and that was a very good thing. It meant that he was healing from all the horrible things that had happened to him over the past 10 years, and that maybe, it wouldn't be too long before he could actually make love with the beautiful man in the other room. He wasn't ready for it yet and he probably wouldn't be for a while, but for the first time in a decade he was finally sure that one day he would be okay.

He turned off the water and grabbed his towel, a happy smile on his face. It felt good to be him right now.

As soon as he was dry he made his way into his wardrobe to find some clothes and once he was dressed in a pair of pyjama pants and a T-shirt he made his way back through the bathroom and knocked on Jack's door.

"Come in," Jack called quietly.

Ianto opened the door to find Jack lying on the bed, on his back, with a pillow over his head. Ianto made his way over to the bed and crawled over to Jack's side pulling the pillow away.

Jack looked up at him a guilty expression in his blue/gray eyes. "Ianto I-"

"I love you," Ianto cut him off before he could say anything else.

Jack looked back at him in shock. "What?" he asked.

"I said I love you," Ianto repeated with a warm smile before leaning down to kiss Jack gently. When he pulled back he gazed lovingly into Jack's eyes for a moment before saying. "Shower's free; I'll see you in my room after?"

Jack's expression went from shocked to flabbergasted. "Are you sure?" he asked quietly.

Ianto nodded. "Yeah I am." He pulled one of Jack's hands up to his lips and kissed it gently before climbing off the bed and heading through the bathroom to his room. While he waited for Jack he opened his computer and started it up to check his email. There were a few from his friends back home and one from his parents saying they would miss him over the holidays but hoped he had a good time with his friends.

Ianto smiled, it was all set now, nothing to worry about. He switched off the computer and headed over to the bed to wait for Jack. It was the earliest they'd gone to bed…ever, but they wanted to have a good day tomorrow. A few minutes later Jack was crawling into bed beside him and Ianto was snuggled up in his arms drifting off into a happy, peaceful sleep. Yep, it was definitely good to be him right now.

--

Temperance took a deep breath to calm herself before opening the door. Seeley was standing on the other side clad in board shorts and a T-shirt smiling at her in the way that always made her heart beat kick up several notches.

"Morning, T, looking forward to our day at the water park?" he asked energetically.

Temperance managed to smile back and stood aside so he could come in.

Seeley bounded happily into the room and called out a hello to the rest of the group who were all seated around the couches in the centre of the common room.

"Morning, Seeley." The chorus of greeting returned back to him.

Temperance closed the main door and told him to sit down with the others while she finished getting ready.

Seeley cast her an unusual look. "Aren't you ready now?"

"Not quite," she replied before disappearing back into her room and pushing the door shut behind her. How did she let Angela talk her into this? A bikini was a ridiculous idea; she'd get burnt for sure. Not two seconds after she'd finished the thought Angela walked through her bedroom door and gave her a look.

"Stop freaking out, sweetie!" she ordered. "You look great and Seeley is going to love it, trust me."

"Angela, I don't feel right wearing this," she argued.

"Maybe you don't feel right but you certainly look it and the minute we get to the water park and you take those big baggy clothes off, Seeley's eyes are going to pop out of his head." Angela reassured.

"Eyes don't just pop out of your head, Angela, it would take a very large amount of force and-

"Metaphor, sweetie," Angela interrupted her rant. "It means he's going to like what he sees now stop worrying and let's go already. It's hot and I want to swim."

Temperance soon found herself dragged back out into the common room with Angela announcing that she was all ready and they could go. At that moment it was very hard not to hate the young Chinese girl.

--

Ray and Morghan had hired a mini bus for the trip to the water park and Ray had an absolute ball driving it. They'd also decided at the last minute to hire a little Holden Astra in case anyone wanted to head home earlier or later than the rest of the group and organised for it to be delivered to Wet and Wild at opening time.

As soon as they reached the bottom of the mountain the group started to understand Morghan's words about how much hotter it got when you reached ground level. They'd been down from the mountain before but always in the afternoon when a lot of the heat of the day had already gone and it was relatively cool. Right now it was anything but.

The bus had air conditioning but everyone voted not to turn it on. Part of living in another country was experiencing the weather and that's what they were all going to do. Morghan and Ray gave the rest of the group a look that told them they were clearly in for a shock but they left the air con off as requested. By the time they reached the water park the rest of the group understood that look perfectly.

It was hot! Not just a little bit hot but very hot!!

"Oh my god, hell's not this hot!" Rhys exclaimed.

"Well if hell were based around me it wouldn't be hot at all it would be freezing." Morghan replied stepping off the bus with a wide grin on her face. She loved this weather it was one of the main reasons she was so glad to be an Australian.

When she found the rest of the group giving her blank stares she elaborated. "I hate the cold and hell's supposed to be a horrible place."

"You mean you like this weather?" Mickey asked incredulously

"I love it," Morghan replied with a grin.

"You're nuts!" the Irishman informed her.

"Yeah but I'm okay with that," she replied grinning even wider.

Mickey shook his head at her and the group locked up the bus and made their way over to line up while Morghan headed over to where a delivery driver was waiting to hand over the keys to a cute little blue Astra. Morghan grinned at the vehicle excitedly before signing the form and heading back over to find her group. If nobody wanted to leave at a different time she was so driving that home, Morghan loved Astras.

The water park was busy but not insanely so. As soon as they got inside the gates they made their way over to hire out some lockers for their stuff.

Morghan stripped down to her swimmers and put the rest of her stuff away in the locker she was sharing with Ray, and Martha.

"You're going to be fine, T." She heard Angela say quietly to Temperance from just down the aisle. The girl in question looked extraordinarily uncomfortable.

"What's wrong?" Morghan asked moving over to where the pair was standing with Tosh, Elena and Katie.

"Angela made me wear the bikini," Temperance mumbled in reply.

"And now she's freaking out and won't take her outer clothes off," Angela finished for her.

"I told you I wouldn't be comfortable," Temperance argued.

"But you look hot!" Angela encouraged. "Come on, T, you can do this."

"Yeah you can," Morghan added with a reassuring smile. "Come on we're all here, you're completely surrounded, no one else is going to see you until you step out of the circle, so come on, show us what you've got."

Temperance looked around at the group for a moment before apparently realizing that she was surrounded and really had no other option. With a deep sigh she stripped down to her bikini and gingerly looked around at the group. "Well?" she asked

"We like," Morghan replied.

"Really?" Temperance asked.

The rest of the group nodded.

"I told you, sweetie, you look hot! And they all told you the same thing the other night, now come on, let's go find where the guys went," Angela ordered moving toward the other side of the lockers.

"But shouldn't we put sun screen on first?" Temperance asked.

"Not until the guys are here," Angela replied.

"Why?" Temperance asked sounding confused.

"You'll see," Angela replied.

They rounded the corner just in time to see the guys heading toward them from the other side of the lockers.

"Oh my, now isn't this a sight," Angela exclaimed happily.

All of the guys, save for Ianto, Thom and Rhys, were dressed in board shorts and nothing else showing off some rather impressive muscles. Even Owen was naked from the waist up which caused Morghan to wince internally at the thought of his very pale skin under the Australian sun. Even though they'd had Elena trying on a bikini that night at the surf shop they'd still made sure she had a sun shirt to go over it to protect her skin.

Thoughts of Elena made her sad and she turned her attention elsewhere immediately noticing the way Seeley and Temperance were staring at each other. She felt a smile spread across her face; at least it looked like someone was going to have a good day.

"So guys, now that we have you here do you think you might give us a hand with our sunscreen?" Angela asked producing a bottle of SPF30+. The group all did as much as they could on their own before having to partner up. All of the couples stayed together of course leaving Seeley, Temperance, Rhys, Elena, Mickey and Morghan to pair up with somebody else.

Morghan turned to Mickey with a friendly smile and asked if he wouldn't mind helping her. Mickey was more than happy to oblige and Morghan turned around so he could do her back. She ignored the voice in the back of her mind that kept jumping up and reminding her that she really wished it was Elena touching her, and instead turned her attention to Seeley and Temperance.

Seeley was currently standing still, with his hands clenched into fists in front of him while Temperance was going over his back with sun screen. Both of them looked like it was taking every ounce of their self control not to jump the other.

"Hah, wonder how long it's going to take those two to hook up today," she heard Mickey say from behind her and turned to find his attention directed towards the same couple Morghan had been watching.

She grinned. "I don't know but I doubt it'll be long," she replied causing Mickey to chuckle. Suddenly a thought occurred to Morghan and she did Mickey's back quickly (despite his objections that it wasn't necessary) and made her way over to Angela. "You do realize Temperance is going to bake today in the sun," she whispered into the other girl's ear, "no matter how much sunscreen we have Seeley put on her."

"I know, don't worry she won't be wearing the bikini on its own forever, I just wanted Seeley to see her in it before I drag her over to the store and buy her a sun-shirt," Angela whispered.

"Why didn't you just make sure she got one the other night while we were out?" Morghan asked.

"Because if I did that Temperance would have insisted on wearing the sun shirt straight up and all our hours of shopping would have gone to waste," Angela explained.

"Ah, now I see, you just wanted to make sure Seeley got a good look before you covered her up, very clever," Morghan complimented.

They watched Seeley and Temperance with grins on their faces until the pair finished with the sunscreen and Angela spoke up. "You know, T, Morghan was just saying it's supposed to be rather hot today, maybe we should head over to the Wet and Wild Shop and get you a shirt to wear or something, we don't want to see you burn."

Morghan was rather surprised when Temperance turned to her with a grateful smile and quickly agreed.

"Owen it might not be a bad idea for you too," Tosh suggested turning to face the young Russian boy. "I imagine your skin isn't used to this kind of heat."

Owen frowned in thought and turned to look at Katie. "Would you mind?" he asked quietly.

Katie looked surprised by the question. "No, not at all, I'm wearing one myself and I don't want to see you get burnt," she replied with a smile.

"All right then," Owen agreed and the group headed over to the store together.

Morghan watched Seeley and Temperance out of the corner of her eye. They kept stealing glances at each other then looking away when their eyes met. Ah, young love was so cute. She pushed aside the empty feeling in her heart and focused on being happy for her friends. She was glad most of them seemed to have found someone nice, especially Ray; she really deserved someone nice for a change.

---

end of chapter 13

So what did we thing? Please review and I'll attempt to reply to them all before I go back to UNI next week


	14. TickTickBoom!

Hi everyone I'm back again. As promised here's the new chapter my lovely Beta just got it back to me.

Thank you for all the well wishes I'm much better now and my weekend at Supanova was awesome. I met a few other people from Fanfiction which was just wonderful and got to listen to some great talks. The highlight of my weekend as some of you know already was definitely meeting James Marsters he was just lovely and he checked me out both times I met him so I was feeling pretty good about myself after that :). GDL was nice but not as talkative as I hoped he might be. Mind you he had a cold and the entire weekend was hot and go go go so he probably wasn't feeling all that great by the end of the weekend when the Post Nova party was on. Still it was lovely to meet him I got a photo with both him and James both of which I got signed as well as another signature on photos of them from their respective shows. All in all it was a great weekend and I'm so glad I attended :)

So here we go. Special thanks as always goes to Socalrose for being the best Beta alive, love you honey.

**Tick…Tick…Boom!!!**

By lunch time the group had hit Mammoth Falls, the Wave Pool, the Tornado, the Surfrider and the Aqua racer. They ate lunch quickly and headed over to Calypso beach. Morghan was walking along beside Mickey having a debate with him about whether laptop computers were better than desk top computers when she suddenly noticed things were rather quiet behind them.

She turned back to look at the rest of the group but nothing seemed out of the ordinary. They were all smiling and chatting amongst themselves they were just doing it quietly. Morghan frowned and turned back to face the front once more. Somehow she had the niggling feeling that she was missing something.

They reached the sandy area that was Calypso Beach and stood at the side of the water to wait for spare tubes. When at last they had enough for all of them they jumped into the stream and let the current take them.

"Ok, you guys were so right, this is awesome," Angela stated from her position lounged atop a tube next to Morghan.

"I like it. I have to admit I've always wanted to kiss someone under the waterfall that's coming up in a few turns time," Morghan admitted with a smile.

"Waterfall?" Angela and Tosh asked simultaneously.

"Yeah, just a little one," Morghan replied with a smile. She didn't notice the conspiratorial look passing between Angela and Tosh, nor did she notice that the group had begun to surround her; Morghan was far too happy floating around in her little world to notice anything until her waterfall came into view. She sighed quietly; it would have been so nice to kiss Elena under that waterfall.

"Morghan," she heard a quiet voice call from beside her and she looked round to find herself suddenly face to face with the object of her desire.

'_Oh bugger!'_

She could only imagine the look of shock Elena must have been seeing on her face as the other girl spoke again. "Morghan I'm sorry, I never meant to hurt you I swear I didn't. I really like you; you're beautiful and you're funny and you're so smart and so lovely and I want nothing more than to be with you. Can you forgive me, please, Morghan, let me make it up to you," she pleaded quietly.

Morghan couldn't believe what she was hearing. This couldn't be real; she had to be dreaming. She glanced around at the rest of the group and only then did she notice that she was surrounded on all sides by floating inner tubes and friends with big grins on their faces.

'_Those scheming, sneaky, bastards – I knew something was going on!'_ Morghan thought.

She turned her attention back to Elena then and found the young Russian girl still looking back at her imploringly. Morghan gazed into the soft, green depths of Elena's eyes and suddenly it didn't matter that her friends had trapped her, it didn't matter that Elena had pulled away from her just a few nights ago, Morghan's waterfall was coming up and she wanted to be under it with her gorgeous Russian.

Without a word she took Elena's face gently in her hands and kissed her.

There were hoots and whistles from all around them but Morghan hardly noticed; kissing Elena was the most incredible thing she'd ever experienced. She felt them pass under the waterfall as Elena's hands slid up into her hair and they continued the kiss for another few moments before pulling away and gazing at each other.

A bright happy smile lit up Elena's exquisite features. "Does that mean you forgive me?" she asked quietly.

Morghan smiled warmly back at her. "Only if I'm allowed to do that again," she replied quietly and Elena leant forward to kiss her once more. Oh yes, Morghan loved Calypso beach!

--

After giving themselves time for their lunch to settle the group left Calypso Beach and headed over to the Black Hole. Temperance looked over at Elena and Morghan who were walking hand in hand not far from her and smiled, it was nice to see them so happy.

She turned her attention back to Seeley who was walking beside her and sighed, this was getting insane. She'd done everything she could think of to avoid falling for him but nothing had worked. Every time she turned around he was always right beside her and every time he smiled at her she just fell harder.

This wasn't supposed to happen, she wasn't supposed to find someone she felt this strongly for, not yet, she was too young! If she fell this hard for him after only knowing him for a few months how was she going to be by the end of the year? She couldn't do it, she couldn't allow herself to love him, statistically couples who fell in love during high school didn't last once they went off to college and she didn't think she could survive losing someone else she cared for.

She allowed her gaze to wander over his body and it took everything in her not to reach out and touch one of his gorgeously well muscled arms. Why did he have to be so damned beautiful? Why did she have to want him so badly?

"Are you all right, T?" Angela asked quietly from beside her.

Temperance nodded, "I'm fine," she lied quietly.

"Here we are, the Black Hole!" Mickey suddenly announced drawing their attention to a large, twisting ride all painted up in black. "Apparently you can't see anything in there at all, how cool is that?" he asked excited.

He and Rhys ran up to the start of the stairs together in excitement while the rest of the group made their way up behind them at a much more sensible pace. They reached the end of the line and found that there were still a few people ahead of them so they settled in to wait.

Temperance and Seeley were at the back of the group with Angela and Tosh just in front of them. Temperance was talking to Tosh about a new piece of research she'd read just recently when she heard female voices talking behind her. She turned around to find Seeley standing on the step below her talking to a group of girls who were lining up behind him.

"So what's your name, cutie?" one of them asked.

"I'm Seeley, it's nice to meet you, and you are?" Seeley asked back politely.

"I'm Lauren and these are my friends Jessica, Stephanie and Lavinya," she replied motioning to the rest of the group behind her. The girls all giggled and waved to Seeley with flirty greetings of 'hi' coming from all of them.

Temperance wanted to throw up!

"It's really lovely to meet you too, Seeley," Lauren replied reaching out to shake Seeley's hand. Seeley took Lauren's hand gently in his and Temperance grabbed hold of the railing beside her and squeezed until she couldn't feel her fingers anymore.

"So are you here all on your own today, Seeley?" Lauren asked.

Temperance reigned in the snarky response of, 'no he's here with us now bugger off, slut' that threatened to burst from her lips and tried to focus her attention on something else, she had no right to be jealous.

"No actually I'm here with my friends," she heard Seeley reply. "That's Temperance, Angela and Tosh just ahead of me. Guys, this is Lauren."

"Lauren, hi," Temperance heard Angela greet the other girl with no small amount of distain. There was silence for a moment and Temperance looked round to see Angela standing beside Seeley shaking hands with Lauren when it looked like she wanted nothing more than to smash the other girl's face.

"Lovely to meet you," Angela said in a tone that clearly stated it wasn't. She turned to Seeley then and said. "Seeley, sweetie, Jack wanted to talk to you about something, why don't you come on up here with us."

"Can't it wait? We were just getting to know one another." Lauren asked in a tone that Temperance assumed was supposed to be sweet.

"No it can't," Angela replied simply and slipped an arm into Seeley's. Seeley gave her a friendly smile before turning back to face Lauren once more.

"It was nice to meet you, ladies," he said with a polite smile before following Angela up the stairs to where Jack was standing with Ianto.

As soon as they'd passed Temperance moved to stand directly beside Tosh effectively blocking Lauren and her gang off from Seeley. Even though she knew it was a silly, childish thing to do, Temperance couldn't help but smile to herself at her little victory.

As the line moved along and they got closer to the ride Temperance listened to the conversation going on behind her.

"Do you think she's his girlfriend?"

"No, she can't be; I'm sure I saw her holding hands with that other girl before."

"So what do you think her problem is then?"

"I don't care; all I care about is getting that hottie alone somewhere and riding him like freakin Seabiscuit."

Temperance cringed, could she be any more vulgar? Besides, who the hell did she think she was talking about? Seeley wouldn't just go off somewhere and bang her like a cheap whore, he was better than that! She looked up at him and couldn't help but smile; he really was a good guy. Surely it would be better to have as much time with him as she could get and then have to give him up then never have the chance at all wouldn't it? Could she do it though? Could she give her heart to someone when she knew she'd almost certainly lose him one day?

Seeley turned away from his conversation with Jack for a moment and noticing that he had her attention he gave her one of his breathtaking smiles. Temperance felt her heart stop and in that moment she made a decision. She would be with him, even if it ultimately meant heartbreak for her.

"Tosh," she said her friend's name quietly.

"Yeah, T?"

"Do you really think Seeley likes me?" Temperance all but whispered.

"Yeah, T, I do," Tosh replied almost as quietly.

Temperance nodded. "I hope you're right," she said as their group reached the front of the line and she made her way through her friends and grabbed Seeley's arm gently.

"Go on this one with me?" she asked quietly.

Seeley studied her face for a moment before agreeing readily and waiting beside her for a tube. When at last it was their turn Seeley put the tube in the water and held it steady while Temperance climbed in. He then slid in behind her and waited for the guard to say they could go. Temperance closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath, she knew what she wanted to do; she just hoped she could pull it off.

The guard told them they could go and they pushed off from the waiting area and slid into the darkness. It was completely silent inside the slide except for the sound of rushing water and Temperance took another calming breath before saying. "Seeley,"

"Yeah, T," she heard him reply quietly.

This was it; she'd only get one chance to do what she wanted. According to scientists there is a pheromone in the lips that your body uses as a guide when you kiss someone, which is why, even in the dark, you are supposed to be able to find your lover's mouth without difficulty. Temperance pushed herself backwards in the tube until her back was pressing up against Seeley's chest. She heard him gasp in surprise ad she used that sound as a guide for her fingers a she slid her hand up into the back of his hair and pulled his mouth down to hers.

For a moment everything stopped, the tube stopped moving, the water stopped rushing past them, Temperance even stopped breathing. Then Seeley's arm slid around her waist pulling her tightly up against him and he was kissing her back.

'_Oh, god.' _

Temperance barely noticed when they hit open air again and the slide began its vertical drop into the splash down pool at the end. It was only when she heard her friend's shouts of excitement that she realized their private little moment was over.

Blushing brighter than a tomato she slid out from between Seeley's legs and helped him get the tube out of the water. Once they'd passed it over to the life guard she turned her attention to the object of her affection who was watching her somewhat apprehensively.

She reached forward and took his hand pulling him toward her until there was barely an air gap between them. When he continued to look uncertain she gave him a warm smile and asked. "Do you like me, Seeley?"

"I thought that was obvious," Seeley replied quietly.

Temperance's smile grew wider and she leant up to kiss him once more. When she pulled back this time she asked. "Then why do you look so worried?"

"Because I don't know if you like me too, or you're just doing this to humour me," he replied searching her eyes.

Temperance gazed back at him for a moment before replying. "Of course I like you, Seeley, how could I not?"

A grin spread across Seeley's features and he threw his arms around Temperance pulling her into a heart stopping kiss.

The clapping and cheering erupted from around them once more and when they pulled apart Temperance glanced over at the group before turning back to Seeley and shaking her head. "Our friends are so supportive," she said with a grin.

"Yes, yes they are," Seeley agreed returning her grin with one of his own. His expression turned serious then and he whispered, "Thank you."

Temperance could see the happiness in his lovely dark eyes and she gave him a warm smile before pulling away and slipping her hand into his. "Come on, more rides to go on yet," she reminded him before pulling him toward their group.

From the corner of her eye she saw Lauren and her group from earlier at the bottom of the slide staring at Temperance and Seeley open mouthed. She turned and gave them a smug smile before pulling Seeley closer and slipping an arm around his waist. The jealous glares she got from the four girls made her grin like a crazy person for the rest of the day.

--

Ianto walked along beside Jack with a happy smile on his face. It was so nice to see all his friends so happy, he was really glad they'd managed to find each other like they had. He looked across at the lovely Canadian beside him and his smile grew even wider, his friends weren't the only ones who were happy.

Jack turned to face him with a warm smile. "Are you watching me, Mr. Jones?" he asked quietly.

Would it be a problem if I were, Mr. Harkness?" Ianto asked in return.

"No, you can watch me all you like, my beautiful man, I'm yours to look at," Jack replied with a sweeping gesture of his hand toward Ianto.

Ianto laughed and slipped his arm around Jack's waist pulling the lovely Canadian close. He saw Jack's smile widen and he slid his arm around Ianto's shoulders in return.

"You know, sweetheart, if I didn't know any better I'd think you were in love with me or something," Jack leant over and whispered in his ear.

"Good thing we know better then isn't it?" Ianto replied playfully.

"Yes because you wouldn't want to give me false hope now would you?"

"No definitely not," Ianto replied. He looked up at Jack for a moment before leaning over and kissing his boyfriend on the cheek completely unconcerned about the fact that everyone around them now knew without a shadow of a doubt that they were together. He never thought he'd be a fan of public displays, but he loved Jack and he wanted his boyfriend to know it.

He pulled back and looked into his gorgeous Canadian's eyes; they were full of love and adoration mixed through with a very large dose of happiness, exactly the reaction Ianto had wanted. Jack's hand that had been resting on Ianto's shoulder came up to gently stroke his cheek and Ianto smiled adoringly at the boy he loved.

"I love you," he said softly.

"I love you too," Jack replied. They shared a smile for a few moments before Mickey's voice caught their attention.

"Hey, guys, why don't we go and sit over near the wave pool and get an ice-cream. I'm sure I saw a stall over near there," he suggested.

The group agreed and they headed over to the wave pool to find somewhere to sit. After finding a big enough area for them all they sat down and decided what they were going to have. As soon as everyone had decided Jack announced that he was buying and dragged Theodore, Rhys, Thom and Mickey over to help him.

Ianto smiled as he watched his boyfriend walking over to the ice-cream stall, god he was gorgeous.

"Hey, Ianto, want to take a dip in the wave pool while we're waiting," Morghan asked from beside him.

"Sure, why not," he replied climbing to his feet before helping Morghan up out of her chair.

"Anyone else want to come for a swim?" Morghan asked.

Angela, Temperance and Seeley hopped up from their chairs and followed Morghan and Ianto down to the water. They floated around in the waves for a while, chatting about the fun they'd had so far and the rides they still wanted to check out. Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, Ianto noticed a little boy who seemed to be struggling a bit in the water and swam over to see if he needed some help.

The little boy smiled at him and held up one of his floaties; it had come off his arm and he was trying to get it back on. Ianto helped the little boy slide it back onto his arm and the kid thanked him before swimming away. Ianto turned back toward the seating area then and noticed Jack and the others returning with the ice-cream. He called out to the rest of the group who were a bit further back in the water before making his way back up toward the seating area.

He was walking through the shallow water watching Jack put the ice-cream down and thinking what a cute ass he had when he heard Morghan call out to him.

"Ianto look out!"

He looked around just in time to see two large teenage boys, obviously wrestling or something of the sort and not watching what was around them, about to collide with him.

'_Well, that's just freakin perfect!' _

The next few moments happened in slow motion for Ianto. He thought about trying to get out of the way but there was no time. He managed to get his hands up to shield his face just before they crashed into him and the three of them fell to the ground with Ianto on the bottom. He hit the ground face first and felt the weight come crashing down on top of him just before a sharp stabbing pain ripped through his chest and he heard a loud crunch in his ears.

'_Yep, that's another cracked rib or two.'_

A cry of pain escaped his lips before he could stop it and a feeling of dizziness overtook his senses. He realized then that he also couldn't breathe with all the weight now bearing down on top of him, but he felt too faint to struggle.

He heard voices calling out his name and a few moments later the weight disappeared from on top of him and strong hands were pulling him up out of the water which he hadn't even noticed he was lying in.

"Ianto, are you okay, can you hear me?" he heard Jack calling to him frantically as the Canadian lifted him into his arms. He felt Jack try to turn him over but as soon as the Canadian's hands touched his chest he groaned in pain and told Jack to stop, the dizziness overtaking his senses once more. He wasn't sure what happened next but when he finally managed to breathe through the pain and come back to reality he was sitting up with his back to Jack's chest and the rest of the group standing around him looking worried.

"Ianto, can you hear me?" he heard Jack calling to him again and he looked up slowly to find his lovely Canadian looking back at him with worried tears in his eyes. "Ianto?" Jack whispered his name in a quiet, hopeful tone as Ianto's hand slid up to touch Jack's cheek and he smiled peacefully up at the Canadian.

"I'm okay, Jack," he whispered in reply, "Don't cry, I'm all right I promise."

He saw Jack bite his lip and the Canadian closed his eyes, breathing a sigh of relief and burying his face in Ianto's hair.

"We've called the medical staff," Owen informed him, "they're on their way."

Ianto nodded slightly his hand moving up to stroke Jack's hair reassuringly.

A few moments later the medical staff slipped through the crowd and started looking him over. They ensured he had no concussion and his vision was fine, determined he had no spinal damage, but when they moved down to his ribs he put out a hand to stop them.

"I know they're hurt you don't need to check," he informed them quietly.

"We need to make sure you haven't snapped any that might puncture a lung," one of the officers told him gently.

Ianto wanted to say no, that they were just cracked not broken, but then he'd have to explain how he knew that and that conversation was not one he wanted to have. So he released the officer's hand and asked them quietly to be careful.

Their hands wandered over his chest and he bit his lip when they reached the sore spot to keep from crying out as tears clouded his vision.

"Okay none of them are snapped but you should probably go down to the hospital and get an X-ray, you might have cracked a few," the officer informed him and he blinked back the tears fighting against the urge to growl 'no shit, Sherlock!'

Instead he nodded and the medical officers gave him an injection of some pain killer before packing up their stuff and heading off again. Jack asked him quietly if he was okay and after taking another few moments to calm himself he nodded and asked Jack to help him up. Jack, Owen and Seeley pulled him to his feet as gently as they could and he leant against Jack for a moment to get his balance before thanking them quietly. Jack held him gently so as not to hurt him and Ianto clung to the other boy, the pain in his chest making him nauseous and dizzy.

"Are you okay?" Jack asked quietly the concern still obvious in his voice.

Ianto nodded not really able to talk right at that moment.

"As soon as you're feeling up to it I'm going to take you to the hospital okay," Jack whispered rubbing Ianto's back gently.

Ianto nodded although he had no intention of going to the hospital. There was nothing they could do for him anyway and as soon as the pain killers kicked in he'd tell Jack as much; he'd just have to think of something he could tell Jack to explain how he knew that.

"Hey, man, we're really sorry," Ianto looked over to see the two guys who'd run into him standing off to the side of the group looking guilty.

Ianto was in far too much pain to say anything back to them and he figured Jack was too worried about him to even notice they were there. Ray however…

"So you should be!" the Australian girl growled at them. "What the hell were you thinking? You're standing next to a large body of water did the thought that you might fall, knock yourselves out and drown never occur to you? More importantly you're in a family park surrounded by small children, what if you'd run into one of them? As it is you may have broken some of Ianto's ribs what do you think would have happened to a little kid if you'd fallen on them? So yeah, you should be sorry, and maybe next time you get the urge to behave like dick heads you'll stop and think about someone other than yourselves for a few seconds and think better of it!"

They both had the decency to look suitably chastised and they mumbled another apology before slinking away.

Ianto smiled to himself despite the horrible pain radiating through his chest, it was nice to have friends who cared about him. He clung to Jack in silence, drawing strength from the other boy until the pain killers finally kicked in and dulled the pain some.

When at last he felt steady enough he pulled back a little and gave Jack a reassuring smile. "I'm okay," he whispered quietly. "Can we go home now I really want to lie down?" he asked.

"Of course," Jack replied before turning his attention to Morghan. "Morghan do you mind if we take the Astra?" he asked.

"No, not at all," Morghan replied. "I'll head over to the lockers and grab you the key, I'll be right back."

"I'll go and grab your stuff, what locker number were you?" Owen asked.

Jack told him the locker number and the code and Owen jogged off after Morghan.

"Don't you want us to come with you to the hospital?" Katie asked.

Ianto shook his head, the last thing he needed was the whole group pushing him to go to the hospital. "No it's fine; I don't need to go to the hospital I'll be okay. Besides, there's still a few hours of daylight left, you guys should stay and enjoy the rest of the day, plus they put movies on at night and you get to watch them lying on tubes in the wave pool, you shouldn't miss out on that. I'm just going to be going back to the dorm and lying down anyway there's nothing you guys can really do, but thank you for offering I do appreciate it," Ianto declined as politely as he could.

"Yeah you guys should stay and have a good time, I'll be there to look after Ianto," Jack agreed. "He will be going to the hospital even if he thinks he doesn't have to, but as soon as he's out I'll take him back to the dorm and cater to his every whim."

Ianto was glad that Jack seemed to be getting some of his normal, vibrant personality back after the horrible scare Ianto had obviously given him. At the same time however, he didn't like the way Jack was speaking about him like he didn't have a choice in where he went. He was not going to the hospital and he opened his mouth to say so but Morghan and Owen chose that moment to return with his and Jack's stuff and the Astra key.

Jack threw his shirt on and he was going to help Ianto change his but Ianto declined. He really didn't feel comfortable showing everyone his body. Plus if Jack saw how much pain he was really in there was no way Ianto would be able to talk him out of the hospital trip and that was going to be hard enough already.

Jack picked up all their stuff before slipping an arm gently around Ianto to help him if he needed it. They said goodbye to the others and headed slowly out to the car.

Jack helped Ianto into the passenger seat before loading all their stuff in the boot and climbing into the driver's side. "Right hand drive," he mumbled, "this'll be different." He started the car and reversed out of the parking space before heading out of the car park toward the M1.

As they merged on to the motorway Jack asked Ianto if he could look up where they were going on the car's built-in NAV MAN.

"It's okay, I know the way back to the dorm, I'll direct you" Ianto replied.

"We're not going back to the dorm yet, Ianto, I'm taking you to the hospital," Jack replied in a tone that clearly told Ianto he had no choice.

Anger mixed with a horrible cold feeling of dread in his stomach making him feel even more nauseous than he already was. If Jack took him to the hospital they'd have to do an X-ray, if they did that they'd notice all the previous breaks and start to put the pieces together. Once they'd worked it out they'd have to report it to the authorities because Ianto was only 17 and therefore underage and more than likely he'd be shipped back home on the first available flight. Ianto didn't want to go home, even if they didn't send him back to his parents and Justin they'd send him to live with his grandparents and Ianto didn't want that. No, he couldn't go to the hospital.

"No, you can't take me to the hospital, Jack," he argued quietly not wanting to yell at his boyfriend even if he was being a stubborn ass.

"Why not?" Jack demanded.

"Because I don't want to go," Ianto replied.

"Tough."

The anger rose within Ianto overriding even the pain and the nausea. "I'm not going, Jack," he snarled.

"Yes you are," Jack growled back.

"No I'm not!"

"Ianto you're hurt, you need to see a doctor," Jack argued.

"I'm fine, Jack, the ribs are just cracked they're not broken," Ianto argued back.

"You don't know that for sure. Even if the medical officer told you so he didn't have an X-ray machine so he can't be 100% sure and neither can you" Jack disagreed.

"Yes I can!" Ianto yelled so annoyed that he wasn't thinking about what he was saying. "I can tell the difference okay, I've had plenty of both and the pain's different!" he snapped.

He saw Jack's hands tighten on the steering wheel and he immediately realized what he'd just said. It was out there now, he couldn't take it back, and while Jack may have allowed Ianto to keep the details of his abuse to himself before, Ianto was almost certain he wouldn't now.

Ianto waited for Jack to react and after what felt like hours Jack finally spoke his voice quiet but full of barely restrained fury. "Who?" He asked.

Ianto knew perfectly well what Jack wanted to know but he still asked. "What do you mean?"

Jack's blue/gray eyes pinned him to the chair, the expression within them telling Ianto that Jack wasn't buying his innocent act.

"Who, Ianto?" he asked again.

Ianto shook his head, "I can't, Jack," he protested.

"You either tell me or I take you to the hospital, either way I'm going to get some answers!" Jack snarled.

The anger within Ianto skyrocketed. No, he was not going to do this! He'd spent the last 10 years being a victim in his own home he wasn't going to let it happen in his relationship. He loved Jack but if it had to be his way or nothing…

"No, Jack," he said as calmly as he could. "That's not how this works. We're in a relationship not a dictatorship. We're supposed to be equal partners in this not master and slave and you can't just go around making my decisions for me and telling me what to do!"

"We're not equal partners in this, Ianto, we should be but we're not. You're keeping things from me, all the time; I can see it in your eyes!" Jack argued.

"Some things aren't important for you to know, Jack, things that are my personal business and have nothing to do with you!" Ianto argued back

"Nothing to do with me?!" Jack asked incredulously. "How the hell can you say that, Ianto? It's about you, someone's hurting you; how can you expect me not to care? How can you possibly think it has nothing to do with me when my entire world revolves around you?! I love you, Ianto, why can't you understand that? You mean everything to me and the thought of someone hurting you kills me! What is it about me that's keeping you from trusting me? What is it that makes you feel like you can't tell me?" Jack demanded.

"This isn't about you, Jack; it has nothing to do with not trusting you!" Ianto protested.

"If you trust me that tell me the truth," Jack demanded.

"No!"

"Ianto!"

"Jack I said no!"

"Why not? You said you trusted me, if you truly meant it there would be no problem with you telling me. Obviously there is a problem so clearly you were lying to me before and you don't trust me so why? Why don't you trust me, Ianto, tell me why?" Jack demanded.

Ianto's temper finally snapped the leash and he let Jack have it. "Fine! If you really have to know so badly, if your whole god damned self importance depends solely on knowing horribly painful information about me that I don't want to discuss I'll tell you! His name's Justin and he's my elder step brother. He started beating the crap out of me when I was 7 and he started raping me when I was 14. There, are you happy? Do you feel fucking better now, Jack?" he demanded.

Ianto was angry, really angry, but even the anger wasn't enough to push aside the pain and the shame that filled his being the moment those words left his lips. Before he knew it tears were burning his eyes.

Jack just stared back at him his expression a mixture of shock and pain. "Oh, Ianto, I'm so sorry," he whispered reaching out to touch Ianto's hand.

Ianto pulled away from him. "Don't," he said as forcefully as he could through the tears.

"Ianto please I-"

"Just don't, Jack!" he cut him off turning to look out his window. "Take me back to the dorm," he demanded quietly.

The rest of the trip was spent in silence and as soon as they got back to the school Ianto flew out of the car and up to the dorm. He got to his room as quickly as he could and stormed inside slamming the door behind him. The anger was exhausted and the pain that had been gnawing at his insides since he got into the car with Jack suddenly overtook everything else. He slid to the floor, hugging his knees to his chest and sobbing brokenly.

He'd never wanted to have to talk about Justin; he'd never wanted to tell anybody about that part of his life. Thinking about it made him feel dirty, talking about it made him feel like he'd been crawling in a sewer for years and chewing on rusty razor blades. He felt disgusting and sick, but more than anything else he felt lonely in a way he hadn't known since he'd met Jack. There was no one to comfort him, no one to understand, Ianto was completely alone with his pain and right now he just wanted to curl up and die.

--

end of chapter 14

Ok please don't kill me!!! There will be more coming soon I promise. Please review and let me know what you think even if you're just yelling at me!!

Love you all

Kayla


	15. Here Without You

Hi everyone I'm back again :). I was going to reply to my reviews first then come back and post this up but I figured you'd prefer the new chapter ASAP.

This chapter is split into two parts both of them corresponding to bit of a different song. I wasn't going to add songs to this chapter but I decided I wanted to so I did.

Anyway I will warn you now there is major angst ahead and a very large degree of Gwen bashing but Jack is very upset in this chapter so he can hardly be blamed.

Here we go, big thanks to Socalrose for her awesome betaing XXOO

I don't own either of the songs in this chapter. Half life is actually out of the movie What a Girl Wants, and Here without you is by three doors down, I haven't used the whole song just a few relevant bits.

**Here Without You**

**Half life**

_I don't mind a few mysteries  
They can stay that way it's fine by me  
But you are another mystery I am missing_

_It takes so much out of me to pretend._

_Tell me now, tell me how, to make amends_

__

Cause lately something here don't feel right  
This is just a half-life,  
Without you I am breaking down  
Wake me, I wanna see the daylight  
Save me from this half-life  
Let's you and I escape  
Escape from time

_Come on lets fall in love  
Again_

_(Half life, Duncan Sheik)_

Jack sat on the sand looking out over the water a feeling of utter desolation permeating his being. Three weeks, it had been three weeks since his fight with Ianto and the beautiful Welshman hadn't spoken to him since. He'd tried to get Ianto to talk to him the night it happened but the Welshman had locked his door and refused to let Jack in. He'd tried the next morning but Ianto hadn't left his room all day, not even to eat. He'd tried for days after that all to no avail.

Of course the rest of the group had known something wasn't right the moment they'd come home from the water park and found Jack sitting in the common room alone but they hadn't asked. Jack could only assume it was because he looked fragile and they didn't want to push him.

Eventually, after four days with no sign of Ianto, Tosh had dragged Jack out of the school grounds and down the road until she found somewhere they could talk privately and demanded to know what was going on. Jack had broken down, unable to stand the separation anymore, and sobbed on Tosh's shoulder for what felt like hours. He couldn't tell her what they'd fought about because it was Ianto's business but he told her they'd had a fight and Ianto wasn't talking to him. Eventually when the tears had stopped Tosh had left him on his own to get himself together and headed back to the school. By the time Jack got back the girls had stolen Ianto out of his room and taken him to their dorm.

He didn't know how Ianto had managed it but Jack hadn't seen him at all for the rest of the term. By the time holidays rolled around the girls had organised for Ianto to go home with Morghan and Ray for the fortnight, and the rest of them, who were not going home for the holidays, were coming to stay with Jack. Jack was pretty sure it was because they were frightened of leaving him on his own. He was a mess and he knew it.

Those last few weeks of school Seeley, Owen, Temperance and Katie had taken it upon themselves to look after him, even going so far as to make him eat and cover up Ianto's coffee machine so he couldn't see it. More than once they'd come looking for him at meal times and found him curled up on the floor, with the pillow Ianto had slept on when they'd last shared his bed wrapped up in his arms, sobbing. He told them to leave him alone, he didn't deserve their kindness, but they refused, and he felt so bad for making them feel like they needed to look after him but he couldn't pull himself together, he just felt … lost

He'd never missed John, his best friend from back home; so much as he did now. John had been there for him from the time he was five, always looking out for Jack, always taking care of him, John was always so strong. If John had been there with him now he would have crawled into the other man's lap and stayed there for as long as he could. He could do that with him, he couldn't do it with anybody else…except maybe Ianto.

Tears slipped down Jack's face and he didn't even bother to brush them away. It was a good thing John wasn't here, his friend would convince him that he deserved to be taken care of and looked after right now and he didn't. He deserved to suffer, deserved to be punished. He'd made a promise to Ianto and not only had he broken it but he'd broken Ianto's trust in him and scared away the only person Jack had ever loved.

He kept replaying the argument over and over in his head, kept wishing he'd just done as Ianto had asked him to in the first place, but he'd been so frightened of losing Ianto and that fear had caused him to lash out in anger. Now he was paying the price for that mistake.

Jack's thoughts floated back to John and the rest of his friends back home. If they saw him now, so in love with someone that he couldn't function without them, they'd smack him upside the head and tell him to get over it, well, most of them would. John wouldn't, he'd just understand like he always did.

Jack's thoughts moved on to his new friends then, Seeley, Owen and the others. They weren't like that, they didn't tell him to get over it or anything of the sort, in fact he was pretty sure more than one of them agreed with him that he deserved to suffer, but they were here for him anyway. He'd always cared about his friends back home, but aside from John he'd never really loved any of them, they weren't those kinds of friends. The people he'd met on this exchange, the new friends he'd made, he did love them, more than he could ever express. He wondered if that was because they were just those kinds of people, or if, by meeting Ianto, he'd not only unlocked his heart to true romantic love but also other kinds of love as well.

He guessed it didn't really matter; love was love regardless of how it came about. He was curious about how things would go when the school year ended and he had to return home. Would he still be able to fit in with his friends or would they clash? Would they have changed at all or would they be the same as when he'd left? Somehow he was pretty sure it would be the latter.

Jack shook his head, what difference did it make? Without Ianto everything was miserable anyway. He'd tried to forget about him, tried to convince his heart that it had been a stupid idea for him to think he could ever have a full, proper relationship with anyone, tried to convince it that he wasn't built that way and it was just a stupid experiment. That hadn't worked.

He'd tried to think about the things that used to make him happy, the nights he used to spend with his lovers back home, the parties he used to throw, the gags they used to pull. None of that worked either. Eventually he'd just given up trying and let the misery swallow him; it was all he deserved anyway.

Jack closed his eyes, trying to remember the last time Ianto had smiled at him, but the only image he could conjure up was the look in Ianto's eyes after he told Jack about Justin, the pain, the shame, the anger and the fear. His beautiful Welshman, who had finally been starting to feel some confidence in himself had pulled away from him then, his new found confidence shattered by Jack's stupid fear.

Then of course there was Justin. Jack felt angry and sick whenever that name flew into his head. He'd known Ianto had been hurt, abused and the thought had crossed his mind that the abuse might have been of a sexual nature given Ianto's fear of intimacy. But the young Welshman had been growing to trust him so much quicker than Jack thought he would, he'd been letting Jack hold him and even slept next to him. Jack had started to hope that maybe he'd been wrong, maybe the abuse had just been physical. Yes that would still have been terrible but not as bad as rape.

Jack's hopes had been wrong. Ianto had been abused for ten years, three of those involving sexual assault. Jack couldn't even begin to imagine what it must have been like for him, no wonder he found it so hard to accept love and kindness from anyone. It broke Jack's heart to think of how Ianto must have suffered, it made him think back to their first day at the school and how Ianto had looked when he stood up from the table clutching his side. If Jack had been able to see under Ianto's shirt would he have found bruises? Blood? Ianto never took his shirt off around other people, was it because his body was scarred?

More tears slid down his face. How could anyone hurt Ianto? Why would anyone want to? He felt a sob rising in his throat. He just wanted to hold Ianto, to kiss him, to take his pain away and tell him that it was all going to be okay. He wanted to tell him that he'd never be alone, that Jack would always be with him and he'd never let anybody hurt him again. But he couldn't do any of that and he had no one to blame but himself.

Jack pulled his legs up close to his chest and wrapped his arms around them, burying his face in the top and sobbing brokenly. Ianto was never going to forgive him and it was all his fault.

He barely noticed when someone sat down beside him and reached out to gently stroke his back. He didn't care who it was, he didn't feel like talking.

"It's going to be okay, Jack, whatever's happened I'm sure I can help you feel better."

Jack froze, he recognised that voice…but it couldn't be, surely he was imagining it. He glanced up at the person beside him and was more than a little miffed when he realized his suspicions had been right. Gwen bloody Cooper was sitting beside him and touching him no less.

His pain turned quickly to anger. "What the hell are you doing here?" he demanded in a tone that clearly said he didn't welcome her company.

Gwen had the hide to look hurt, "I was walking past and I saw you here, I wanted to make sure you were okay and clearly you're not," she replied.

"Get the fuck away from me!" he snarled jumping to his feet and heading back in the direction of the beach house. It was his own stupid fault; he'd just wanted some space from everyone so he'd walked up to the normal beach instead of staying in the private area that was fenced off as part of the beach house's property. If he had known the psycho bitch was nearby he would have stayed where he was.

"I knew Ianto wouldn't be strong enough to hold on to you, I told him so but he wouldn't listen to me. You should have chosen me from the start, Jack, I would have been strong enough to stay with you," Gwen gloated.

Jack stopped walking and whirled around to face her. He stormed back up the beach not stopping until he was right in her face. "Shut the fuck up!" he snarled actually enjoying the way she shrank back slightly in fear even though it sickened him that he felt that way. He would never strike her, but right now he was so angry and upset that he just wanted to hurt someone else and that someone else was going to be Gwen. If she was as strong as she said she was she should be able to handle it.

"What do you think is going to happen, Gwen? That just because Ianto and I aren't all happy and rosy I'm going to just forget about the love of my life and come to bed with you, is that what you think? Well I've got news for you, Princess; I wouldn't fuck you if you were the last person left on the planet. Quite honestly my neighbour's dog is more attractive than you and it's one of those hideous pig-faced things that make even the ugliest people look attractive!"

He saw Gwen's eyed widen in surprise before they began to fill with tears. She stepped back away from him, her lower lip quivering.

Jack knew he'd hurt her, he could see how upset she was, but she wasn't anywhere near as upset as she could be and he wanted her to suffer. She'd been horrible to Ianto since the day they'd met and she deserved to hurt, just like she'd hurt Ianto.

"What's the matter, Gwen? You can dish it out but you can't take it? What happened to all that strength you were talking about earlier, huh? Did it just float away in the breeze or are you finally realizing that the Welshman you used to put down all the time is more beautiful every moment of the day than you will ever be in your life time? Come on, Gwen, spit it out, don't just stand there with your mouth open like a fish, say something. You've always been full of nasty comebacks and comments before, what; you got nothing left in the empty space where your brain should reside?"

The tears were leaving tracks down Gwen's face now and Jack knew he'd been really mean…he also didn't care. He closed the gap between them once more and whispered in her ear. "You know it's a shame really, if you had just been nice to Ianto you and I might have been friends. I don't usually discriminate against the unattractive, but you just had to be mean, shame really." He pulled away from her and headed back down the beach. "Have a nice day now!" he called over his shoulder.

He knew he'd been an asshole, but he couldn't find it in himself to feel bad and that scared him more than he wanted to admit. Was this the kind of person he was going to become without Ianto? Was he going to end up like Gwen? Did something like this happen to her once upon a time, was that why she was so nasty?

He looked back up the beach to see Gwen walking away from him, her sobs barely audible over the roaring of the waves. He'd never been that mean to anyone, he'd never had a reason to be. Jack sighed, what did it matter anyway? He'd already lost Ianto, if he lost everything else too so be it. He couldn't possibly hurt anymore than he already was.

Ianto. Just the thought of his name brought on a fresh bout of tears and Jack turned and continued on his way back to the beach house, his conversation with Gwen already forgotten as the sadness claimed him once more.

--

**Here Without You**

_All the miles that separate  
Disappear now when I'm dreaming of your face_

_I'm here without you baby  
But you're still on my lonely mind  
I think about you baby  
And I dream about you all the time  
I'm here without you baby  
But you're still with me in my dreams  
And tonight it's only you and me_

_(Here Without You, Three Doors Down)_

Ianto watched Morghan playing Mario Kart with her mum and smiled, they really were the most adorable mother/daughter pair he'd ever met.

Morghan, Ray and Ianto had arrived at Morghan's mum's house early the previous evening and he'd watched delighted as Morghan's mum, Lesley-Anne, had given both girls the biggest hug he'd ever seen anyone get in his life. After that she'd turned her attention to him and greeted him with a welcoming smile and a much gentler hug not wanting to hurt his ribs.

She'd taken them inside and Morghan had showed him around the house while Ray had helped Morghan's mum finish dinner. The house wasn't as large as his but it was far from tiny. It had two bedrooms and one lounge room at one end, the kitchen, dining room, piano room and another lounge room in an open planned section in the middle, and two more bedrooms, the laundry and another bathroom at the other end.

Morghan's bedroom and the guest room were down the end with the laundry and there was only a thin wall separating them which he was oddly grateful for. Morghan's room was down the end of the hallway so they stopped at the guest room first so Ianto could drop off his stuff. The room had a double bed, a desk, a built in wardrobe and a mass of glow in the dark stars and planets on the roof above the bed. Ianto found that oddly exciting and couldn't wait to see how it would look in the dark.

Once Ianto had put his stuff down and taken a second to get his bearings, Morghan went down to her room at the end of the house to do the same. Her room had a water bed, a desk, the same built in wardrobe and more glow in the dark stars on the ceiling. The main things that set her room apart from the spare room were the posters that lined every inch of the wall and the myriad of books, folders, paper, pens, candles and trinkets that covered every spare surface and most of the floor.

Ianto smiled as he noticed most of the trinkets were mythological beings of some description and most of the posters on the wall were science fiction and anime orientated. He'd heard Morghan describe herself as a nerd on several occasions but he hadn't really believed her until now. He suddenly found himself liking her even more.

She'd shown him the bathroom which was right across the hallway from Morghan's bedroom and had a door to the back patio. She'd shown him the rest of the house quickly and once he had a good idea of where everything was they'd gone back out to the kitchen to talk to Lesley-Anne. Morghan's brother Michael and his girlfriend Emily had come home just before dinner was ready and they'd all sat down together to roast lamb and vegetables.

After dinner they'd watched a movie and gone to bed relatively early which Ianto was grateful for, he didn't think he'd be able to act like he was okay for much longer. He'd had a shower and curled up in bed the tears claiming him almost immediately. He missed Jack, he missed him so much it was killing him, but he knew he couldn't see him, he knew their relationship was over, and it hurt so much he wanted to scream.

At first he'd been so angry and hurt by the whole situation that he couldn't stand the thought of being anywhere near the Canadian. By the end of the first week he'd begun to miss him and by the last day of term he felt so empty and lonely that he just wanted to run to wherever Jack was, throw his arms around him, and beg Jack to take him back.

Nights were the hardest for him. He didn't dream about Justin anymore, instead he kept having horrible nightmares about Jack. Sometimes he was chasing Jack, trying to catch up to him but he was always out of reach, other times he was watching Jack sleep with other people, other times he'd be trying to apologise to Jack and the Canadian would refuse to look at him. Regardless of the form they took, he awoke from every nightmare with tears pouring down his face and a hollow empty feeling in his heart.

That first night at Morghan's house his nightmare was the worst he'd ever had and he'd awoken at one a.m. to Morghan gently shaking him. He knew even before she said anything that he'd been crying in his sleep, and had obviously woken her up, and he immediately apologised to her while fighting to get himself back under control. Unfortunately his heart seemed to have other plans and rather than pulling himself together he ended up spending the rest of the night wrapped up in Morghan's arms sobbing his heart out.

He told her everything. He didn't even realize he was doing it, he was so upset and so tired that it all burst out of him before he realized it was happening. Morghan, for her part, had listened to every word while holding him tightly and stroking his hair in a calming, elder-sisterly fashion. When at last he'd worn himself out she'd curled up beside him and continued to stroke his hair soothingly until he'd fallen asleep again.

When he'd awoken again a few hours later he'd found Morghan and Ray in the lounge room at the other end of the house playing Mario Kart with Lesley-Anne and Emily. Morghan had immediately passed her controller to Ray and come over to see if he wanted any breakfast. He told her he could make it himself but in the end Morghan had made them all bacon and eggs and they'd sat down together to eat it. Morghan hadn't mentioned what happened the night before and he was very grateful to her for that.

After breakfast Morghan had gotten a phone call from one of her friends inviting them all out to the movies that night and after a short discussion they'd all agreed to go. Ianto was actually looking forward to it; he was hoping a good movie might take his mind off Jack for a while. Now they were back in the lounge room and Morghan was racing her mother at Mario Kart once again.

Ianto had to admit he was pleasantly surprised by Morghan's relationship with her mum. Lesley-Anne was by far the coolest mum he'd ever come across. She played video games with her children, listened to their music and enjoyed it; she and Morghan even wrote stories together sometimes. Morghan's mother was really big into science fiction too so they liked a lot of the same shows but for the most part they didn't really watch a lot of TV, more interested in books and their writing. Lesley-Anne also got along swimmingly with Morghan's and Michael's friends, always taking the time to sit down and talk to them when they came to visit. They really had a unique bond and Ianto found himself feeling rather jealous of Morghan, he'd never had that kind of relationship with his parents.

He was happy for her though, particularly after he'd heard about what Morghan and Ray had to go through just to be friends and hearing what Morghan's dad was like. He'd left when Morghan and Michael were kids and while they still saw him he was never really there for them. It was sad but Morghan wasn't really bothered about it, well, at least she said she wasn't. She said her mum more than made up for a lack of father and having met Lesley-Anne Ianto believed her.

It was odd; Ianto didn't really miss his family. Sure he'd been pretty busy with school and everything, but even at night when he was alone he never thought about them. He figured it was probably because they'd never really been close. They loved him and they were supportive, but he'd always known that Justin was their favourite. A lot of people would probably say all children felt like that every once in a while, but that wasn't the case with Ianto, he 'knew' Justin was the favourite he didn't just think it.

The day he'd found out for sure was the one and only day he'd gone to his parents about what Justin was doing to him. It was about a year since Justin and his mum had moved in with them and Justin had been particularly violent with him. He'd pushed Ianto off the play equipment in their back yard and Ianto had fallen badly on his arm. He'd gone crying inside to see his parents and when they'd taken him to the hospital to get it X-rayed it turned out his wrist was broken.

The doctor had put it in a cast and sent them on their way telling them to make sure he took it easy for a few days. When they got back home their parents had sat them down for a 'talk'. Ianto didn't remember the exact words anymore, but the basic gist of the conversation was that brothers were always violent with each other and Ianto shouldn't take it to heart. When Ianto had complained that Justin had pushed him without cause his father had told him not to be a tattle tale and he was sure Justin hadn't meant to hurt him. When Ianto tried to tell his father that Justin had meant to hurt him, that he hurt him all the time, his father had grounded Ianto and sent him to his room for making up stories.

That was the day he knew for sure that he would always come second in his parent's minds. He'd been upset about it for a while and refused to talk to them but eventually he'd just come to accept it as a part of life. He didn't hate them for it, he knew he probably should but he didn't. They were still his parents and he loved them in spite of it all.

But he didn't miss them.

What did that say about him? Did it mean he didn't really love them after all? Did he subconsciously resent them for their easy dismissal of him and had been secretly harbouring the desire to escape them? He always thought it was just Justin that he wanted to get away from but maybe it was them too. He remembered missing his real mother when she left why didn't he miss them? And what did it say about him that he'd been away from them for months and never once missed them but he'd been away from Jack only three weeks and he felt like he was slowly drowning?

The thought of Jack brought tears to his eyes and he looked down trying to blink them away. Right now he'd do anything to have Jack with him. He'd tell him his entire life story, he'd give him explicit details of everything Justin ever did to him, he'd strip naked and let Jack fuck him if that's what the Canadian wanted, he just wanted to be with him again; he missed Jack so much.

He felt the couch dip beside him and a hand reached over to hold his. "You don't have to hide it from us you know, we know you're hurting," Morghan said softly.

He looked up to find Lesley-Anne, Ray and Emily playing the game with the volume up loud enough that he and Morghan could talk privately, and Morghan sitting beside him with an understanding look in her eyes.

"They won't pry, you don't have to talk to us or let us in if you don't want to, but we're here for you if you do okay," she offered quietly.

Ianto looked into her understanding brown eyes for a moment before saying. "I really screwed up, Morghan, I wrecked everything. If I'd just told him the truth sooner none of this would have happened."

"Why didn't you?" she asked gently.

Ianto thought about it. "I didn't want him to know how broken I was," he admitted. "I didn't want him to feel sorry for me, or treat me like I was made of glass. He's already so careful with me because he has to be, but we were doing well and I didn't want him to be afraid that every little touch of his hand was going to freak me out, I didn't want him to withdraw from me completely. I don't know, I know it sounds stupid but-"

"It doesn't sound stupid, Ianto, it's the way you feel. You can't always control or make sense of your feelings, sometimes they're just inexplicable it's the way life goes, and honestly I can see your point. You don't want Jack to be afraid of touching you, I get that, you liked things the way they were and you didn't want to ruin them I get that too. It's not stupid, Ianto," Morghan said giving his hand a gentle squeeze.

Ianto gave her a grateful smile. He'd never really spent that much time with Morghan before all of this happened, but in the weeks that followed his fight with Jack she and Ray had been amazing.

Tosh had turned up at his door that afternoon after she'd spoken to Jack and demanded that he let her in. He tried to ignore her but she wasn't having it. When he'd eventually given in and opened the door she'd demanded that he leave his room immediately, reminding him that he couldn't hide forever.

A long and rather nasty argument ensued the end result of which was Tosh packing him a bag and dragging him to the girl's dorm. By that time he was so tired of arguing with her that he'd simply done what she said.

They got to Morghan's block where all the girls were studying together and Tosh sat him down on the couch before asking all the girls which room they should put him in. Ianto wanted to tell her to just go away and leave him alone but he knew she wouldn't listen to him. In the end Morghan and Ray had offered up Morghan's room saying that they could share Ray's bed until Ianto was ready to go back to his block.

That decided it as far as Tosh was concerned, and she'd taken his stuff into Morghan's room before asking Ianto if he was coming down for dinner. When he said no Angela had tried to make him come, but Morghan had managed to convince the Chinese girl that they could bring him something back with them and they'd blessedly left the room.

Ianto had just sat there for a while thinking about grabbing his bag and heading back to his own room, but then he thought about how horrible it would be if he got back to his block and Jack was there. In the end he'd stayed put.

Morghan, Elena, Martha and Ray had been great over the next few weeks. They made sure he was eating and had all his assignments up to date, they even spoke to his teachers about letting him out of classes for the last few weeks which all of them agreed to as long as he handed his assignments in on time. He didn't know what the girls had told his teachers but he was grateful all the same.

At the end of the second week Morghan had asked if he wanted to come home with her for the holidays seeing as he couldn't go with Jack and he'd agreed readily, thankful that he had somewhere to go. He'd been so upset he hadn't even thought about the holidays and what he was going to do now that he wouldn't be with Jack. All in all Morghan had been a saint, and he was so grateful to her for everything, especially after what she'd done for him last night.

Morghan gave him a warm smile and his hand a gentle squeeze, bringing him back to the present, before asking if he'd like to have a go on the Nintendo to take his mind off Jack for a while. He thought about turning her down seeing as he hadn't played a Nintendo in years but decided he may as well have a go. Really, how badly could he do?

As it turned out, very badly, however he quickly improved, and before he knew it he was speeding around the track with the others and trying his hardest to hit Morghan with a red shell.

--

End of chapter 15

So what did we think angsty enough??? Our boys are very sad now do you think they're going to get back together??? Stay tuned and please keep reviewing I'm completely addicted.

Love you all

Kayla


	16. Forgive Me

Hi everyone I'm back again. Finally some holidays from UNI YAY! Now I can't remember how many reviews I got to reply to before UNI went nuts so if I haven't replied to you I'm sorry everything's been so hectic :(. Anyway I hope to make it up to you with a new chapter and here it is. I have a few weeks of holidays now so hopefully you should see a few more chapters in the near future. Thanks for waiting please continue to review, I love you all.

Kayla

Big thanks to Socalrose as always for her terrific betaing XXOO :)

**Forgive Me**

Jack looked around and it took everything in him not to sigh. Why the hell had he agreed to this? He turned to Seeley and asked the American that exact question which earned him a cheerful smile and Seeley's arm wrapped around his shoulders.

"Because it's going to be fun," Seeley replied before dragging him up to the bar to get a drink.

When he'd returned from the beach that afternoon Seeley had informed him that the girls were planning a 'girly night out' and therefore the men of the group had decided that they were going to a club. Jack had originally said no but Seeley, Owen, Rhys and Mickey had annoyed the crap out of him until he'd agreed to go with them. Now he was regretting it.

Seeley ordered them all a JD and coke, since they were all 18 and could legally drink in Australia, before leading the way up a set if stairs to an area with pool tables and places to sit. Jack sat himself down in one of the chairs while the rest of them made their way over to the nearest pool table to start a game. He sighed as he looked down at the drink Seeley had given him. He really didn't want it, but maybe getting blind, rotten drunk might help take his mind off Ianto. With that thought he sculled the drink as quickly as he could and smiled as a warm tingly feeling flowed through his limbs. Yep, this could work.

From the shadows near the top of the stairs a pair of dark, gleeful eyes watched him. "Drowning your pain, Jack? Well, just you wait until you see what I have in store for you." The owner of those eyes chuckled quietly to herself before pulling her phone out of her pocket. She hit number one on her speed dial and waited for the answer.

"Hello."

"Hi, it's me, grab the stuff and head down to the club, they're both here."

"Hmm, on my way."

XXX

Jack looked down at his empty glass and frowned. That was his fourth JD and coke and he wasn't feeling any better, in fact he wasn't feeling anything at all. He pushed his chair back and headed for the stairs.

"Anyone want anything?" he called out.

The group called out what they wanted and Jack was about to head down the stairs when Seeley came over to join him.

"I'll give you a hand," he offered following Jack down the stairs.

They got to the bar and ordered what they wanted. Jack decided to go for something different this time hoping it might have some effect on him and ordered the strongest drink in the place that had something like four different types of spirits in it. He honestly didn't care what they were as long as it did the job.

Seeley disappeared to the toilet after they'd ordered and Jack turned around to survey the crowd. There was a couple of good looking people out there but nothing that held his interest for long. Not that it mattered, none of them were Ianto.

"Hi, how are you tonight?" a female voice asked from beside him.

He turned to find a rather attractive blonde standing beside him in a low cut, almost see-through top and tight jeans. Before he'd met Ianto he would have replied with an awesome pick-up line and offered to buy her a drink. As it was he wasn't even up to lying right now. "I'm bad, terrible in fact, I'm sorry to tell you but you're wasting your time over here talking to me. However, if you want to score there is a group of guys upstairs playing pool at the farthest table and a couple of them would be more than happy to help you with that," he informed her.

She gave him a considering look and nodded. "I…like your honesty, are any of your friends upstairs cute?" she asked.

Jack though about it, "Mickey is if you're into darker guys, Rhys isn't too bad if you like the whole English accent, I'm afraid the others are taken," he replied.

She nodded, "I think I'll go check them out, thanks for the tip." She gave him a friendly smile and headed for the stairs. It was a shame really; she would have been quite a catch if he'd been able to think about anything other than Ianto right now.

"Hey I'm back, oh and look the drinks are done," Seeley announced from beside him.

Jack turned back to the bar and noticing that Seeley was right, grabbed his drink and took a sip. Seeley did the same before turning to survey the room.

"I'm guessing there's nothing here that would have any chance of drawing your attention," he said quietly.

Jack shook his head and Seeley nodded. "All right, let's get back upstairs."

Jack turned around to grab the rest of the drinks but was suddenly overcome with a feeling of dizziness. He felt himself sway on his feet and he grabbed the bar to steady himself.

"Jack are you okay?" he heard Seeley ask moments before his vision started to blur. "Whoa, I'm not feeling so good," was the last thing he heard Seeley say before the world around him disappeared into swirls of colour and light.

The next thing he knew someone was kissing him and he was kissing back although he had no idea who or why. Suddenly Ianto's smiling face appeared before him and he smiled back, sliding his arms around the body in front of him. Ianto felt different, but Jack's muddled brain couldn't seem to work out why. Oh well, Jack didn't care, Ianto was here that's all that mattered.

XXX

Temperance made her way through the club, Elena, Tosh, Katie and Angela behind her. They'd had a nice dinner out, gone to see a movie, and now they were going to dance for a while before heading back to the beach house. As they wandered through the throng Temperance surveyed the crowd, wondering if maybe this was the club the guys had decided to go to as well.

They reached the bar and Temperance was waiting to order when something caught her attention off to the right. She looked round to see a couple making out against a pillar not far from the bar. She frowned to herself wondering what she could have possibly seen to make her look over that way. Oh well, it didn't matter. She was about to turn back to the bar when the couple turned slightly and she recognised Lisa…with Seeley.

Temperance's blood ran hot and cold at the same time. She stalked over to the pair and ripped Lisa off Seeley by her hair. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" she demanded.

"Oh, Temperance, I didn't-" Lisa began but Temperance cut her off.

"Shut up, I wasn't talking to you!" she snarled before turning her attention back to Seeley. "What the hell, Seeley?" she demanded.

Seeley looked at her for a moment confused, before turning to look questioningly at Lisa, then back to Temperance the look of puzzlement increasing with each take. Finally his attention focused on Temperance and she saw him pale significantly. "Temperance, I don't…I thought…Temperance I don't know…I don't-"

"You know what, save it, I don't care!" Temperance cut him off whirling around and marching toward the door.

Temperance wait!" he called running after her.

She got as far as the doorstep before Seeley's hand caught her arm. "Temperance, wait, please, I don't know what's going on I thought-"

"You thought what? That I was busy out with the girls and couldn't possibly catch you? Is that what you thought?" she demanded.

"No I-"

"You know what, I don't want to hear it, just get the fuck away from me," she snarled ripping her arm from his grasp and stalking away.

"No, wait, Temperance you don't understand, I didn't know what I was doing," Seeley protested chasing after her once more.

"Of course you didn't," she shot him down sarcastically without a break in her stride.

"No, I'm serious," Seeley protested grabbing her arm and stopping her once more. "Look I don't know what's wrong with me but my vision's all blurry and everything looks weird and I honestly didn't know what I was doing. Please you have to believe me, please," he begged tears shining in his eyes.

The sincerity in his eyes almost swayed her, but then the image of him with Lisa jumped into her head and she pushed him away, tears burning her eyes. "How could you, Seeley? I trusted you, I cared about you, how could you do this to me?" She all but sobbed before turning around and walking away it took everything in her not to turn back when she heard him drop to the ground behind her sobbing.

"Please don't leave me," he sobbed. "Please I love you!"

Temperance froze, had he really just said that? People said it all the time without meaning it but she'd never imagined Seeley to be one of them. That didn't say much though; she hadn't imagined him to be the type to cheat either. Suddenly something he'd said earlier jumped into her head and she whirled around, running back to where he was and crouching down in front of him. She took his face in her hands and pulled it up so she could look into his eyes.

"Temp-"

"Ssh!" She cut him off more harshly than she'd intended and immediately felt bad when he cringed. She couldn't see properly so she dove a hand into her bag and pulled out the small pocket torch she always carried with her. Clicking it on she shined it in Seeley's eyes and saw what she had been afraid of, Seeley had been drugged.

She looked up at the others who were standing just outside the door, not wanting to intrude but wanting to be there in case she needed them. She'd never been so grateful to have friends. "Guys, Seeley's been drugged, you need to go back inside and find the others quickly in case they have been too," she called out and the group immediately ran back inside the club.

Temperance called an ambulance, telling the operator that there may be more than one victim before hanging up the phone and pulling Seeley into her arms. "I'm sorry," she quietly apologised stroking his hair away from his face and pressing a gentle kiss to his forehead.

Tears were still sliding down Seeley's face but he wasn't sobbing anymore. He clung to Temperance's Jacket, his eyes never leaving hers. "I'm sorry," he whispered back. "I didn't mean to I-"

"Ssh," she cut him off a lot more gently this time, "It's okay I know," she reassured him gently stroking his face with her thumb.

"I love you," he whispered and Temperance felt tears burning her eyes once more.

"I-" her reply was cut short by the others dragging Jack out of the club and plonking him on the ground beside her. Jack curled himself into a ball and wrapped his arms around his legs, his body shaking with sobs.

"Is he the only one?" Temperance asked.

The group nodded.

"Where was he when you found him?" she asked.

"Making out with Gwen," Tosh growled and Jack sobbed even louder beside her. "One guess who did this to them."

Temperance felt her blood boil, oh yes, who indeed. As soon as this was over she was going to find those whores and make them pay!

"Ianto, Ianto, forgive me, please forgive me," she heard Jack sob from beside her and her heart bled for him. Poor Jack, hadn't he been through enough recently?

The Ambulance arrived and they got Seeley and Jack bundled inside. After a lot of yelling and struggling on Seeley's part the ambulance officers agreed to let Temperance travel with them and they headed off toward the hospital.

As soon as they were underway Temperance managed to get an arm loose from Seeley's grip and pulled out her phone to call Ianto. Despite what had happened between him and Jack Temperance was sure he'd want to know what had happened.

XXX

Ianto sat in the back of the car on the way home from the movies, a heavy feeling of sadness in his heart. He'd hoped the movie would take his mind off Jack but when they'd gotten to the cinema Morghan's friends had told them that rather that going to see the comedy movie they'd had in mind originally they were going to see the third Pirates of the Caribbean movie.

Ianto had really wanted to avoid seeing that movie knowing it would remind him of Jack, but the girls were all so excited about seeing it that he didn't have the heart to tell them he couldn't. He'd left the cinema at the end of the movie more upset about Jack than he had been previously and followed Morghan, Ray and Mina to Mina's car without saying a word.

Now he was sitting in the back of the car looking out the window and trying to keep the tears at bay. As well as reminding him of Jack because he'd watched the other two movies with him, it reminded him just how important it was not to let go of someone you love because of a stupid fight.

He felt a sob rise in his throat as he thought about how the movie had ended. Life really was too short to live it with regrets. What if one of them got hit by a car tomorrow without ever seeing each other again? What if Jack went back to Canada because of what had happened between them and Ianto never saw him again? He'd never have a chance to say he was sorry and he'd regret it forever. Tears slipped down Ianto's face before he could stop them. He didn't want to live the rest of his life without Jack, the thought killed him inside.

"Are you okay?" Morghan asked from beside him.

Ianto turned his tear filled eyes toward her and shook his head. "I can't do this, Morghan, I can't live without him," he sobbed quietly.

"What are you going to do?" she asked.

Ianto shook his head, "I don't know," he replied. "I want to fix it but I'm not sure how, I don't even know if Jack will speak to me if I try. I was awful to him, all he was trying to do was look after me and I…" he trailed off wiping his eyes. "I don't deserve his forgiveness, but I love him so much and I…I just want to hold him again, I want to hear his voice…I don't know what I'll do if he doesn't forgive me."

"He will." Ianto looked up when he heard Mina speak. She was still watching the road but he could tell her attention was on him. "I might not know you well, Ianto, but only a crazy person would give you up, and from what I've heard of Jack he's not crazy."

Ianto laughed quietly at that. "I don't know, he was in love with me that's gotta denote some crazy on his part," he replied earning him a light slap on the arm from Morghan.

"Not was, is, Ianto, Jack is in love with you. Just because you had a fight doesn't mean he automatically stopped loving you it doesn't work that way," Morghan said seriously. "And if you'd ventured out of the room at all during the last few weeks of the term you would have seen just how miserable he is without you."

Guilt immediately flooded Ianto's being, how could he have let his anger hurt Jack like that, what the hell was wrong with him? "Oh my god, I'm horrible," he said tears clouding his eyes once more.

"You're not horrible, Ianto," Morghan reassured him. "You were upset, it happens. If you want to make things right with Jack we will get up early tomorrow morning and I will drive you down to the coast myself, just promise me you'll stop blaming yourself for everything that happened. You were both in the argument, you both have to shoulder the blame, it's not something you alone were responsible for you need to accept that, okay?"

Ianto studied Morghan's sincere brown eyes for a moment and nodded. "Okay," he agreed. "Thank you, I'd really appreciate it if you could take me down tomorrow."

Morghan nodded, "It'll be my pleasure," she replied as Mina pulled into Morghan's driveway.

They got into the house and said goodnight to Mina who headed home. They were just deciding whether they wanted to go to bed or stay up a bit longer when Ianto's phone rang. Pulling it out of his pocket Ianto recognised Temperance's number and answered.

"Hi, T,"

"Ianto, I'm sorry to call so late but I'm in the back of an Ambulance with Seeley and Jack heading to the Gold Coast Hospital, it looks like they've been drugged."

The moment the words were out of her mouth Ianto felt his heart stop, "Oh god, Jack," he heard himself gasp.

XXX

Jack slowly opened his eyes closing them immediately when they were met by harsh, bright light. Where was he? What was going on? What was that annoying beeping sound coming from somewhere nearby? And why was his wrist so itchy?

He wracked his brain for a moment trying to piece together what might have happened. The last thing he remembered was … being at the club with Seeley and the others. Sending that girl upstairs to meet his friends since he wasn't interested and … Ianto. A horrible sense of despair settled over him and he felt tears gathering behind his eyelids.

From the smell and the sounds around him he managed to work out that he must be in the hospital. He couldn't remember what had happened to put him there, but right now he wished that whatever it was had killed him. He'd gladly take death over this horrible emptiness any day … oh, Ianto. He felt a sob rising in his chest and he drew in a shaky breath, biting his lip to try and keep it contained.

"Jack." The sound of his name being uttered from beside him in a lovely Welsh tone made him freeze. Could it be? "Jack, can you hear me?" he heard the voice again and forced his eyes open to see Ianto sitting in a chair next to his bed, one of Jack's hands held tightly in both of his.

Jack hadn't even noticed.

A small smile lit Ianto's face as Jack's eyes focused on him. "Hey, how are you feeling?" he asked quietly reaching out with his spare hand to caress Jack's cheek.

The tears slid free of Jack's eyes and he leant into Ianto's touch, reaching up with his free hand to cover Ianto's, holding it against his face. "You're here," he all but sobbed.

He saw tears immediately gather in Ianto's eyes and the Welshman leant forward to hug Jack as best he could without interfering with all the machines, cables and tubes currently attached to him. "Yes I am, and I'm not going anywhere I promise," Ianto whispered tearfully.

Jack held him back, burying his face in Ianto's neck. "I'm sorry," he sobbed, "I'm so, so sorry, Ianto."

"I'm sorry too," Ianto replied kissing Jack's hair softly.

When Jack had himself a little more under control Ianto pulled away. Bringing one of Jack's hands up to his lips he kissed it and held it against his face while his free hand stroked Jack's hair soothingly.

"I love you," Ianto whispered after a few moments, "and I'm so sorry I treated you the way I did. You were trying to look after me and you didn't deserve that."

"Yes I did," Jack replied, "I promised I wouldn't push you and that's exactly what I ended up doing, you had every right to be mad at me."

Ianto shook his head. "No I didn't," he disagreed, "you have been nothing but patient and wonderful since our relationship started and it was wrong of me to keep so much from you. I need you to understand it wasn't a lack of trust that kept me from telling you about Justin (Jack noticed the young Welshman cringed as he said the monster's name). I do trust you, Jack, completely. It was fear and a hell of a lot of other things but not trust, that has never been an issue for me when it comes to you."

"What are you afraid of?" Jack asked quietly.

Ianto took a deep breath and let it out before he replied. "I didn't want you to feel like you couldn't touch me, I didn't want you to feel sorry for me or pity me; I hate that. Most of all though, I…" he trailed off, closing his eyes and taking another deep breath. "I didn't want you to leave me because you realized I was more broken than you thought," he replied before opening his eyes again and looking into Jack's. "I love you, I felt like I was dying without you and the thought of losing you forever…" he trailed off again tears sliding down his face.

Jack reached up with his free hand and wiped Ianto's tears away. Ianto closed his eyes and leant into the touch. "God I've missed you," he whispered.

"I've missed you too," Jack replied cupping Ianto's face gently in his hand and leaning up to kiss him.

Ianto's hand that had been stroking Jack's hair slid into the back of the dark strands and gripped them gently pulling Jack closer to him. Jack barely suppressed a groan as he realized just how much he'd missed having Ianto's lips against his. After a few moments they pulled back and Jack gazed up into Ianto's eyes.

"I love you," he whispered sliding his hand back to gently stroke Ianto's hair. "No matter what happens that's not going to change. If you don't want to tell me anything else about Justin that's okay, but I want to help if you'll let me."

Ianto nodded, "I know, and I will tell you everything because you have a right to know what getting involved with me really means," Ianto replied. "I just want to wait until you're out of the hospital, are you okay with that?"

Jack nodded, "Of course I am, you can take all the time you need to tell me. We have time now," he added with a small smile.

"Yeah we do," Ianto agreed returning Jack's smile.

They gazed at each other for a moment before Jack brought his hand back to Ianto's face and gently began to trace the contours of the lovely Welshman's skin. "Please don't ever go away from me again," he pleaded softly, "I couldn't bear it."

"Don't worry, neither could I," Ianto admitted kissing the hand he was still holding before leaning forward to lie his head down on the pillow next to Jack's. He brought his other hand up to Jack's face, resting it on his cheek and stroking the skin gently with his thumb.

"You're so beautiful," Jack whispered, "I love you so much."

"I love you too," Ianto replied leaning forward slightly to press his forehead against Jack's.

They lay like that for a few moments enjoying their proximity to each other after so long apart. Finally the question that had been sitting in the back of Jack's mind waiting for a moment to draw attention to itself jumped into focus and Jack asked.

"Ianto, what happened to me? How did I end up in here?"

Ianto studied him for a moment, a look of concern in his bright blue orbs. Finally he asked, "What do you remember about the last few days?"

"_Days?" _Jack heard his mental voice ask.

"Days?" Jack echoed the question aloud.

Ianto nodded.

Jack thought about it. "I remember going to the beach house with the others, I remember going out to a club…that's about it," he replied truthfully.

Ianto looked away for a moment as if struggling to think of something to say. Finally he looked back at Jack and said. "Jack, that night at the club was two days ago."

Jack felt his heart stop for a moment. "What?" he asked disbelievingly.

Ianto gently stroked his face for a few moments before continuing. "While you were at the club someone drugged you and Seeley. No one's really sure when it happened but the bar tender did say your last round of drinks was sitting there for a while before you and Seeley took them so whoever it was had plenty of time."

Jack thought back to that night at the club. He remembered him and Seeley taking their drinks from the bar and then…feeling dizzy, grabbing the bar and… oh no! He turned alarmed eyes on Ianto and asked. "What did I do?" dreading the answer.

Ianto looked away. "It doesn't matter," he replied quietly.

Jack closed his eyes, a horrible feeling of guilt gnawing his insides as he realized his suspicions had been right. "Who?" He asked quietly.

"Jack you don't need to worry about that now," Ianto tried to soothe him looking up into his eyes once more.

Jack just looked back at Ianto knowing the young Welshman would understand the look in his eyes. He needed to know, he couldn't keep wondering. After a few moments Ianto sighed and said. "Gwen."

Jack stared at Ianto in shock. He didn't look like he was jealous or upset with Jack at all, why not? Ianto must have noticed Jack's surprise because after a few moments of silence he asked Jack what he was thinking.

"You're not mad," Jack replied still confused. "Why aren't you mad? How is it that you're not yelling at me right now? You should be." Jack demanded worried about why that was but not quite sure why he was so worried.

"Jack it's okay," Ianto soothed.

"No it's not," Jack argued. "It's not it's-"

"Jack, please calm down," Ianto interrupted him stroking his hair soothingly. "The doctor said the drugs were wreaking havoc on your brain, they won't be out of your system completely for another couple of days and you need to stay as calm as possible until they're gone. If you get upset they're going to come in here and sedate you again, please, calm down," Ianto pleaded.

The fear in Ianto's eyes made Jack stop arguing with him. He kept his gaze firmly on Ianto's and took a few deep breaths to calm himself as much as possible. Finally, when he felt in control of himself once more he thought back over what Ianto had said and something struck him as odd.

"What do you mean sedate me again?" he asked quietly.

Ianto closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. Ok this was going to be bad. After a few moments he opened his eyes again and Jack was surprised to see a light sheen of tears swimming just behind the surface of the lovely, blue orbs.

"When they brought you in here you were conscious but unresponsive," Ianto explained. "You were crying, and you kept saying my name over and over, kept saying you were sorry. When the doctor's tried to get you to lie down on the bed you pushed them away, you told them you had to find me and explain what had happened. You tried to run out of the room but a couple of orderlies restrained you and took you back to your bed but you didn't want to stay there; you kept fighting with them, demanding they let you go. The doctor didn't want to sedate you because he hadn't worked out what you'd been given yet and they didn't want to make it worse so they ended up strapping you down to the bed."

Ianto stopped speaking for a few moments, obviously upset. "When I got to the hospital and asked for you the nurse immediately asked me who I was. When I said I was Ianto she ushered me down to your room as quickly as she could, explaining what was going on and how you wouldn't cooperate with the doctors because they wouldn't let you out to see me. The nurse let me into your room but the doctor wouldn't let me near you, not until you saw me, stopped struggling and started to cry again. I guess you staying still for him was more important than the fact that I wasn't supposed to be in the room because he let me go to you and he let me stay until he'd gotten some idea of what the drug was doing."

Ianto studied Jack's eyes for a moment before continuing. "It was horrible, Jack, you just clung to me, begging for me to forgive you, telling me you didn't mean it and you loved me and you'd never do it again. I tried to tell you I wasn't mad but just like a few moments ago you wouldn't believe me. I eventually got you to calm down but then the doctor told me I had to leave and you freaked out, really badly, that was when they sedated you. The doctor kicked me out, finished running his tests, determined that the drug wouldn't cause you permanent harm and what it did and sent you to another room.

When you woke up and asked for me again they let me back in and no one's made me leave since. You had a high fever for the first 24 hours and your heart rate was erratic. You were hooked up to all these machines and had so many bags of stuff up there." He pointed to the drip pole. "It was horrible and frightening and no one would tell me what was happening but they let me stay. You slept a lot of the time but whenever you woke up you'd say you were sorry and beg me to forgive you. I'd talk to you a bit and you'd eventually go back to sleep again, this is the first time you've woken up and actually been cogent," Ianto finished, studying Jack's eyes most likely for signs that he was going to freak out.

"I don't remember any of it," Jack admitted quietly. "I'm sor-"

"Please don't apologise again, Jack," Ianto stopped him. "You've said it so many times these last few days and I'm honestly not mad so please don't feel bad, okay."

"Okay," Jack agreed. "Just one more, I'm sorry I scared you, I'll never do it again," he said quietly.

Ianto nodded and leant up to kiss Jack's forehead before laying his head down beside Jack's once more.

All was silent for a little while then, both boys enjoying simply being together. Finally Jack broke it by saying.

"Ianto."

"Mmm," the Welshman acknowledged.

"Are we back together now?" he asked.

A small smile spread across Ianto's face and he kissed Jack gently before whispering. "Yes, Jack we are."

XXX

end of chapter 16

Yay our boys are back together :D I hope you liked their reconciliation I was so happy to write it. I also noticed the other day that the breaks between scenes weren't coming across form the word version to this one so sorry about that I hope I've fixed it now. Thanks for reading more soon PLEASE REVIEW you can't see me bug I'm on my knees begging LOL.

Kayla


	17. Secrets and Reasons to Keep Them

Hi everyone I'm back again. I was going to reply to my lovely reviews before posting this chapter but I've just finished an overnight shift at work and I'm tired as hell! I was going to wait until I was more awake to post this but I figured you'd prefer it sooner rather than later so here it is. After I've had some sleep I'll reply to my reviews I may actually make a bit more sense then.

Big thanks as always go to my lovely Socalrose for her wonderful betaing.

**Oh before the chapter begins I'll tell you now if you don't usually read the author's notes at the end make sure you do this time, you'll understand why when you have.**

**Love you all**

_Kayla_

**Secrets and reasons to keep them.**

Jack opened his eyes and looked around the room. He was back in the beach house now thank god, away from the awful hospital and its funny smell. The last few weeks had been really tough on him and Ianto but things were finally getting better.

And speaking of Ianto.

He looked down at the sleeping Welshman who was curled up beside him and smiled, had there ever been a more beautiful man in the existence? They were back together now and everything was perfect, well, almost. Ianto was still a little sore from the incident at Wet and Wild but he was healing bit by bit. Then there was the whole Justin thing.

Jack had to fight not to grind his teeth as he thought back to the conversation he and Ianto had had the night before. Justin was a monster, no, strike that, monster didn't even begin to describe him. It had taken every ounce of strength in him not to go ballistic and demand Ianto invite Justin here so Jack, Seeley and Owen could beat the living tar out of the sadistic bastard.

Jack had tried to convince Ianto that he should report Justin's behaviour, but the Welshman had refused and as much as Jack hated to admit it he could understand Ianto's reasons.

'_My parents won't believe me so telling them is pointless. If I go straight to the authorities and report it they'll want proof which will lead to a long, drawn out investigation that will take over my life, and even if I can prove it they'll send me to live with my grandparents who I hate and who'll hate me as much as my parents will by then because they love Justin too," _he'd explained before taking Jack's face in his hands and saying.

"_Next year I'll be going off to college, I'll finally be away from them and free to live my life the way I choose. I've been waiting years for this and now that it's finally getting closer I don't want to do anything that will keep it from happening. If I play my cards right I can apply to Oxford or Harvard or somewhere else that's miles away from them and disappear off their radar completely. I can escape him, Jack, and that's all I want to do. I know that probably sounds cowardly and I should be standing up and telling people what he does so he can be stopped but I'm so tired of living under his control and I don't want any more of my life to be taken up by him which is exactly what will happen if I tell anyone, can you understand what I'm saying?'_ he'd asked.

Jack had nodded and encouraged Ianto to continue his story. He'd been annoyed at the idea that Justin was going to get away with what he'd done, but then it had occurred to him that just because the police weren't going to be involved didn't mean Justin couldn't get his comeuppance another way. So he'd stayed silent and listened to Ianto as he spoke, all the while thinking up ways he was going to make the monster pay for hurting his Welshman. He might live in a different country, but one of the joys of being rich was having the power to reach people, wherever they might be hiding.

Jack was extremely proud of Ianto by the time he'd finished speaking. He could tell it was hard for the young Welsh boy to talk about his step brother and everything he'd done to Ianto over the years, but he'd faced his fear head on and told Jack everything. Jack smiled affectionately and leant down to kiss Ianto's soft, brown curls. His Welshman was beyond incredible and as soon as he woke up Jack would make sure he knew it.

He'd never admit it to Ianto but it had been hard to keep the promise he'd made to his boyfriend while they were in the hospital about their relationship not changing once he knew everything about Justin. He'd promised Ianto things would only change for the better and they were going to, but just like Ianto had feared Jack had to fight against the urge to handle Ianto with kid gloves now that he knew the full extent of what had happened. Still, he had managed to resist that urge the night before and it wasn't quite so strong today, so there was a good possibility that in a few days that urge would be completely gone or at least barely noticeable, and until then he'd continue to push it aside like he had been, for Ianto.

As if to emphasize his mental promise to himself Jack cuddled Ianto closer and the Welsh boy began to stir. Jack gently brushed Ianto's hair back from his forehead and leant down to kiss him, his smile growing wider as Ianto sighed happily and cuddled in closer to his side.

"Good morning," Jack greeted him quietly.

"Morning, cariad," Ianto mumbled back his voice still thick with sleep. "How are you feeling?"

"Wonderful," Jack replied with a smile. "How are you?" he asked in a more serious tone.

"I'm…fine I guess," Ianto replied thoughtfully. "You're still here, you're still holding me; I'm good."

"Did you expect anything else?" Jack asked in a light hearted tone although he was a little worried about the answer.

Ianto cracked an eye open and looked up at him, his expression saying quite clearly that he didn't buy Jack's little cover up. "No, I knew you wouldn't go anywhere, it just took me a while to realize that I knew," he replied softly. "And yes, I know that sounds crazy," Ianto added causing Jack to laugh.

"I love you, Ianto Jones," he said when his laughter had died down.

"I love you more, Jack Harkness," Ianto replied with a wicked smile on his face.

"Oh sure, you can believe that if you want to," Jack jibed playfully. "But we both know the truth; I will always love you more."

Ianto laughed, reaching back to grab one of the spare pillows from behind him and thumping Jack with it.

A playful pillow fight ensued resulting in the covers and blankets being very badly messed up and bits of pillow stuffing covering the floor, the bed and both boys. They spent the next few minutes laughing at each other and the crazy pillow stuffing stuck in their hair before deciding they may as well head downstairs and find breakfast since their bed wasn't good for much until it was remade.

They got downstairs to find Seeley and Temperance sitting at the table discussing … something, Owen and Katie moving around the kitchen making breakfast, Mickey and Rhys playing the Nintendo and Tosh, Angela and Elena sitting out on the front deck playing a card game of some description. They all looked up and greeted the pair with happy smiles before Katie asked them if they'd like some breakfast. They both replied in the affirmative and offered help which was immediately turned down, so they headed out to the deck to join in the card game. It turned out the other three were playing 5 alive and they started the game again so the boys could join in.

Jack's attention shifted constantly throughout the game from his cards, to Ianto, to the girls. The game was fun, Ianto was gorgeous and the girls were all watching him and Ianto together and smiling happily which was making him even happier. It was almost as if the world had been off its axis while he and Ianto were apart and now it was over and things were just … right again.

The group ate breakfast together before discussing what they wanted to do for the day. In the end they decided to head out shopping since it wasn't too strenuous for Jack and Seeley. Both boys balked at their wording but of course the group was right. The drug was out of their system now but it had been a hard journey to get there and it had taken a huge toll on their bodies. Neither of them was up to their full strength yet and they wouldn't be, not for a while. Still, at least they were on holidays so they had a nice relaxing environment to recover in which Jack knew was helping, that and Ianto's constant, wonderful presence.

They split off and headed back to their rooms to get ready before coming back together and heading out to Pacific Fair.

Ianto stood outside the music store the others were all currently browsing through. He'd found what he wanted almost immediately and headed outside to wait for the others since the store was busy and a little too crowded for his taste. He'd just finished reading through the book that came with the CD and was putting it away when he heard a voice say his name. He looked over, recognizing that voice immediately, and had to stamp down the overwhelming desire to throttle its owner.

Gwen Cooper stood not a metre away from him with Lisa Halet, the pair of them dressed in what Ianto could only describe as slut uniforms and smiling far too sweetly at him for his taste. "Good afternoon, Ianto, how are you going today?" Gwen asked in her holier than though tone he hated so much.

He glared at her and didn't even bother feigning politeness. "Fuck off, you sadistic whore," he retorted, "Go and find someone else to skank off to, I have no time for you."

"Oh my my, aren't we defensive," Gwen replied smiling victoriously at Lisa. "Looks like Ianto's not so smiley when he doesn't have Jack anymore."

Ianto just shook his head at her. "You have absolutely no idea about anything do you?" he asked. "You know what, I feel sad for you, you're so desperate to get laid you have to drug men to get them into bed. I used to think you were just a bitch but now I understand, you've whored yourself around so much nobody wants you and that's made you bitter."

"You feel sorry for me?" Gwen snarked disbelievingly. "Who was it that had Jack and then lost him, hmmm? Who was it that wasn't strong enough to hold onto-?"

"You know what I don't give a damn what you think about me," Ianto cut her off. "You're lucky you're a girl because if you weren't I'd kill you for what you did to my friend and my BOYFRIEND, yes, that's right, Gwen, he's still mine. I can't believe you went that far. I mean I knew you were desperate to get into his pants but drugging him? Seriously, Gwen, what the hell were you thinking? Did you honestly believe you'd drug him, get him into bed and he'd wake up the next morning and just be yours? That he'd forget about the fact that you poisoned him in order to have your way with him? No one's that stupid, Gwen, not even you!"

"How do you know he wouldn't? How do you know he wouldn't spend the night with me, realize I am so much better than you in every way and make the decision he should have made at the start of the year? Face it Ianto, I'm better than you, you know it and I know it and if your friends hadn't dragged him away from me, and they did have to drag him by the way, Jack would have known it too!" Gwen snarled.

"Jack was hallucinating that you were me, Gwen, that's why they had to drag him away," Ianto informed her.

The smile was immediately gone from her face. "You're lying," she said.

Ianto shook his head at her again. "I think you'll find I'm not, I'd tell you to ask Jack but honestly you have about as much chance of him talking to you as you do of turning back into a virgin."

Gwen's head looked like it was about to explode.

"What the hell is it with you anyway?" Ianto asked. "You don't even care about Jack why are you trying so hard to get your claws into him? Surely there are other people out there who'd be easier targets and who might actually want your attention, I don't know any but they must exist."

"How do you know I don't care about Jack?" Gwen asked. "You don't know me."

"No and I am eternally grateful for that," Ianto retorted. "As for how I know you don't care about Jack you mustn't to have done what you did to him. I mean drugging him was bad enough in itself but what about all the side effects that came with your little gift? I have no idea what you thought they'd be useful for."

"What side effects?" Lisa finally spoke.

"So you do speak," Ianto snarked at her. "And what do you mean what side effects? The hallucinations, the fever, the erratic behaviour, the tachycardia, the emotional volatility, the weakness. Jack and Seeley were in hospital for days recovering, they only got out yesterday." He was surprised beyond words when Lisa paled.

"What-?" she started to ask but was cut off by Gwen.

"Oh, poor baby, you know what, serves him right for the way he spoke to me last time I saw him," Gwen retorted but Ianto could see she was shaken by what he'd said.

"You had no idea that was going to happen did you?" Ianto asked disbelievingly. "You gave two guys a drug without any thought to the side effects it may have. Okay, I take back my earlier comment, you really are stupid, both of you!" he snarled.

"Don't talk to me like that you weird, albino freak," Gwen snapped and Ianto was about to respond when Lisa interrupted.

"There shouldn't have been side effects," she said and Ianto was shocked to hear concern in her voice.

"Shut up, Lisa!" Gwen snapped at the other girl.

"But, Gwen that-"

"I said shut up!" Gwen snarled again cutting her off. "You know what, we're going," she announced grabbing Lisa's hand and dragging her away. "You practically admitted to drugging them, you moron, how the hell could you be so stupid?" Gwen snapped as they walked away.

'Yeah, as if there was any doubt,' Ianto thought to himself. He watched them disappear back into the crowd, pondering Lisa's reaction. He definitely hadn't expected her to be worried about Jack and Seeley.

"I have to admit, I'm impressed by your restraint," Tosh's voice said form behind him.

"How much did you hear?" he asked without turning around.

"Most of it," Tosh replied. "I gave some thought to coming out here and decking the pair of them but I thought I'd listen for a bit first, Lisa's reaction is a bit of a head scratcher."

"Funny I was just thinking the same thing," Ianto replied. "What do you think it means?"

"I don't know," Tosh replied honestly. "At the moment I'm too stunned to even form a hypothesis. Hey have Jack and Seeley decided whether they're going to go to the police about what happened?" she asked.

Ianto shook his head. "Last I heard they're not. Seeley doesn't want something like this coming back to haunt him later when he applies for the FBI, he might be in Australia and it might be legal for him to drink here but it's not back in the States. I don't honestly know if it would affect him getting in or not but it's his decision. As for Jack, he won't report it to anyone because he knows the moment his parents find out they'll probably drag him home and won't let him come back," Ianto explained.

"But this will be on their medical records; surely the FBI will look into those and surely the hospital would have to report this to the school and the school would have to report it to Jack's parents," Tosh argued.

"Seeley seems to think the FBI will be a little less concerned with medical records than police records. Who knows whether he's right or not. As for the hospital telling the school, apparently they can't because Jack's 18 and therefore not a minor, legally they can't tell anyone without his consent," Ianto explained. "It's hard for me not to push him on it but he doesn't want to go home and I can't say I blame him for it (he didn't mention to Tosh that he also had something he didn't want known by his family and pushing Jack on his subject would just lead to Jack pushing back about Ianto's)."

"I guess I can understand that, none of us want to go home before we have to," Tosh replied. "Still, we all know they did it, it doesn't seem right that they get away with it."

"Unfortunately the world's not always a just place, Tosh," Ianto said quietly, being all too aware of the truth in that statement. "I'm angry, obviously, but at least Jack and Seeley are okay, I'm trying to focus on that instead of the anger."

"I guess that's probably best for now," Tosh agreed. "Still, I wouldn't be surprised if Temperance is cooking up some form of revenge. She's not like you and bound by the laws of a civilised world not to hit a girl."

"That's true," Ianto agreed. "Well if any of you girls think of something you can get back at them with I'll be more than happy to stand aside and let you go," Ianto said turning around to face Tosh with a grin. "And I know if you do come up with something it'll be perfect like yourselves."

Tosh smiled back and leant forward to kiss Ianto gently on the cheek. "Flattery will get you everywhere, my friend," she said giving him a hug. "I'm glad you're happy again, both of you, it was horrible seeing you so miserable," she told him with her arms still around him.

Ianto smiled warmly at his friend. "Thanks, Tosh, it's nice to be happy again," he said quietly.

"And hey," Tosh said pulling away, "At least you still get a week to spend here with Jack before we have to go back to school."

"That's true," Ianto agreed with a smile. "Hey and speaking of holidays it's Easter on Sunday."

"Yes it is," Tosh agreed.

Ianto gave her a playful grin. "How would you feel about helping me with something?" he asked.

Tosh eyed him suspiciously. "Well normally I'd agree straight away but right now I think I'm going to have to ask what you have planned before I agree," she replied.

Ianto laughed. "Okay I can understand that." He leant forward and whispered quietly in her ear. When he pulled back he looked down at Tosh who was grinning from ear to ear. "So what do you think?" he asked.

"I'm in," Tosh replied eagerly.

Ianto nodded. "Great," he replied with a smile. He pulled out his phone to text Jack and Angela to let them know he and Tosh would meet the others back at the food court and the pair of them made their way swiftly over to Woolworths.

XXX

That night they were all curled up in the house's huge media room watching…something. Honestly Temperance had completely forgotten what the others had said the movie was called but it was something to do with Egypt, and sand and a dead guy with only half a face? Either way it didn't matter, she wasn't watching the movie she was watching Seeley whose head was resting on a pillow in her lap while her fingers glided softly through his hair.

She'd been so frightened for him that night outside the club. At first she'd been livid and understandably so, but when she'd worked out that something was wrong with him she'd immediately felt sick with fear and incredibly guilty for being so mad at him to begin with. Her fear had intensified when they'd gotten into the Ambulance and Seeley had gone quiet. Before that he'd been sobbing and apologising and the sudden change worried Temperance, especially since Jack was still wailing.

Seeley had just gripped her arm and stared at her, his eyes completely focused on her face as if nothing else existed. When they'd finally reached the hospital the doctor's had tried to order her out of the room but Seeley refused to release her hand and the doctor's had given up on that idea a hell of a lot quicker than she'd expected. Eventually one of the nurses had told her about Jack and the fight he'd put up when they wanted to take Ianto away. It seemed the doctor taking care of Seeley had decided he didn't want to deal with something like that so he'd let Temperance stay.

The nurse then explained that Jack seemed to be perfectly fine and mostly quiet as long as Ianto was in the room and Temperance started to worry a little less about Seeley's silence. After a few days and several visits by their friends to bring Temperance and Ianto clothes, Seeley and Jack had been allowed to go home and they'd all returned to the beach house. The boys had been a little weak since they'd gone a few days without solid food while they were in the hospital, but they were improving quickly and while they weren't completely 100% now they would get there soon enough.

They both had to go back into the hospital the following Monday to have a quick check up but otherwise they were free to get on with their holidays and things were thankfully returning to normal, with one exception. Seeley couldn't remember what happened that night but Temperance remembered it all, vividly. Seeley had told her that he loved her and she'd been completely in shock. She hadn't expected him to say it so soon and she wasn't quite sure how she felt about it. At the time she'd been worried about him and hadn't had time to think about it but now.

How did she feel about it? Did she want him to love her already? Did she love him? Did he even love her or did he just think he did because he was drugged? She sighed internally, did it really matter? It shouldn't because he didn't remember it but somehow it did matter. It mattered because she couldn't remember the last time anyone besides her mother had said it to her and that was a long time ago before her parents disappeared. You weren't loved in the foster system you were tolerated, and even though her grandfather had eventually saved her from that particular, unpleasant fate, he wasn't around enough to love her either.

She was startled out of her reverie by Seeley's hand grabbing hers and pulling it away from his hair.

"The movie's over, T," he told her quietly.

She looked up at the TV and saw that it was in fact blank, and a quick survey of the room showed that the others were all getting up, stretching and heading for bed. She looked down at Seeley apologetically. "Sorry," she mumbled pulling her hand away so he could sit up.

"That's okay," he replied softly. "What's wrong?" he asked sitting up and stretching himself.

She shook her head. "Nothing, just thinking," she lied standing up from the couch.

"T." Seeley's voice stopped her and she could tell immediately by his tone that he didn't believe her.

She sighed in defeat. "You don't remember anything about that night at the club after you were drugged do you?" she asked.

"Not really," he replied. "I get little snatches of memory but not much more. Why do you ask?" he asked.

Temperance shook her head. "It doesn't matter, I was just wondering," she replied.

"What did I do?" Seeley asked quietly and she turned around to find him looking up at her worriedly.

"What do you mean?" she asked confused.

"I must have done something wrong for you to be asking me that," Seeley reasoned. "I can't remember what it was, but it's got you this distracted so it's got to have been something big and now I'm really worried about what it was and I need to know so I can apologise because I don't want to lose you over-"

"Hey, hey calm down," Temperance cut him off when she saw that he was starting to get upset. "You didn't do anything wrong, Seeley, I promise, it's nothing like that," she assured him.

Seeley looked unconvinced but he nodded. "Okay, so why are you asking?" he asked quietly.

Temperance closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. She had to tell him now; he'd spend the rest of his holidays worrying about it otherwise. She opened her eyes once more and moved back over to the couch, lowering herself down beside him. "You didn't do anything wrong, Seeley," she told him again reaching out to take his hand and looking down at it, afraid to meet his eyes. "You told me…you told me that you … love me," she finally said her eyes still glued to his hand. "And I wanted to know if you remembered it at all because I wasn't sure whether you meant it or if it was the drug talking and I was going to ask you about it," she explained.

Silence filled the room and it made Temperance nervous but she wouldn't break it, she had no idea what to say now.

After what felt like forever Seeley spoke. "I don't know," he said softly and Temperance waited silently for him to continue. "I don't know if I'm in love with you I've never been in love with anybody before…" he trailed off and Temperance kept her eyes glued to his hand, not sure whether she should say anything or not. "Do you…I mean…do you want me to…love you?" he asked stuttering slightly. "Obviously you do eventually but um…what about now? What do you want?" he asked.

"I don't know," she replied honestly. "I've been trying to work that out since you said it. I've never loved anyone either. Actually, if I'm being honest, I thought I'd never love anyone like that, it just didn't seem plausible."

"Oh," Seeley replied joining Temperance in her study of their hands.

Was it her imagination or did he sound disappointed?

"Do you still think that now?" he asked hesitantly and even without looking at him she could tell what he was thinking. He was wondering if their relationship meant nothing to her, if maybe she was just humouring him and that she didn't actually care about him at all.

Right now she wasn't sure what she was feeling, but one thing she did know was that Seeley made her feel things she'd never experienced before and she didn't want to lose him before she worked out what they were. Who knows, maybe it was love she felt for him, she just needed a little more time to figure it out.

She reached forward with her free hand and hooked her fingers under Seeley's chin tilting his face up to look at her. "I don't know what I feel for you," she admitted honestly. "I haven't had a lot of love in my life; I don't know what it feels like, this could be it, I don't know. All I do know is that when you're with me I'm happy, when you hold me I feel safe and when you kiss me everything inside me feels warm and content. I've never felt like that, ever, and I don't know what it means but I like it and I don't want to let it go. I'm sorry, Seeley, I'm not like other people, I can't lie to you and tell you I'm definitely going to love you one day, I'm not built like that." She felt tears pricking her eyes. "But I … want to love you and I think I want you to love me too, I really do," she confessed, the tears blurring her vision.

She tried to pull away and wipe her eyes but Seeley's hands caught her arms and the next thing she knew he was kissing her. A feeling of relief flowed through her and she immediately kissed him back, throwing her arms around his neck and holding him tightly. When lack of oxygen became an issue they pulled back and Temperance was surprised to see Seeley smiling softly.

"You don't hate me?" she asked tearfully.

Seeley shook his head. "Never," he replied reaching up to gently stroke her face. "Temperance we're young and we've only just started dating, we don't have to know what we feel right now we can work it out as we go."

Despite the relief she felt at hearing Seeley's words Temperance had to ask. "But I might never be able to love you, how can you be okay with that?"

"You said yourself you want to love me right?" Seeley asked.

Temperance nodded.

"That's enough for now," he replied gently before a naughty grin spread across his face. "Besides I intend on doing everything in my power to make you love me and if it's a long hard road to get there well it just means more of a challenge."

Temperance laughed at that before a warm look filled her eyes. "Thank you, for being strong enough to deal with me, I know I'm not the easiest person to care about," she whispered.

"It should be me thanking you, for giving this a chance when it's obviously not easy for you. As for the rest you're actually very easy to care about and it's not something I need to be thanked for," Seeley whispered back before leaning forward to kiss her again.

When they pulled apart this time Temperance took Seeley's hand and gave him a gentle smile. "Come on, let's go to bed," she suggested.

Seeley nodded and followed her up the stairs.

XX

End of chapter 17.

So what did we think? As you well know I love reviews they're an addiction of mine so PLEASE HELP ME FEED IT!

**Now I wrote at the top that it was important to read the notes at the end and this is why. The first person to review and correctly guess what Ianto has planned and what movie the group were watching can request a story line or a scene for me to write into an upcoming chapter. As long as it doesn't interfere with the overall outcome of the story (So sorry but no matter how much you might want me to write in a scene where Ianto kills Gwen it can't happen) I'll happily write it in. I know this might be a weird little competition but I thought it might be fun**.

Thanks for reading, love you all.

Kayla


	18. Easter Egg Hunts and Other Surprises

Hi everyone! I missed you all, I'm so sorry it's been such a long time and I haven't replied to any reviews. Please accept my humble apologies I am in the last theory semester of UNI and in 6 or so weeks I will enter into a year of Prac with only a few little assessments and I have to say I can't wait! I have been so busy but all the torture will be over soon THANK THE GODDESS! Anyway I know it's been ages since you saw an update from me and I am very sorry :( I got a lovely review from workingsomecoffeemagic the other day telling me that they loved my story but thought I probably wouldn't update again since it's been so long and I thought OMG how long has it been? And damn it all it's been ages! So I fished this chapter out of my folder and finished it and here it is. OH and Angel-eyes56 and ciocia were the first to guess correctly so guys you now get to request something to happen in the story. It it can't happen due to story lines and the like I'll let you know and you can pick something else but feel free to send your requests through to me whenever you feel like it!

NOW I'm sorry to say it may be a while before my next chapter and I may not get a chance to reply to my reviews for quite a while but I promise I have not forgotten all of you and I do definitely intend to finish this story as soon as I have a the time. UNI is so crazy but I'm getting closer to finishing the semester and when I do there will be more story promise!

A big thanks goes as always to my wonderful Beta Socalrose for being her wonderful self and taking time away from her very busy schedule to beta my work. I appreciate everything you do honey thanks a million!

OH I'D LIKE AN EXPRESSION OF INTEREST FROM YOU GUYS IF YOU HAVE A CHANCE. I've had a Harry Potter/Torchwood/Black Jewels story floating through my head recently and I'd be like to know if I should publish it up when I finally find the time to write it. So if you'd be interested in reading it let me know!

Anyway here we go, hope you like it.

**Egg hunts and other surprises**

Sunday dawned bright and sunny and Ianto awoke just before sunrise to Tosh shaking him lightly.

"Morning," she whispered. "Ready to get started?"

Ianto nodded and gently extricated himself from Jack's arms before sliding out of bed and following Tosh out into the hall way.

"How did you sleep?" she asked quietly as they headed down the stairs to the lounge room.

"Good you?" he asked in return.

"Yeah, good," she replied with a smile.

They reached the main room and Ianto headed over to the cupboard where he'd hidden their supplies on Thursday afternoon. He pulled out the bags, handed one to Tosh and the pair of them got to work.

When Jack opened his eyes a few hours later the first thing he noticed was that Ianto wasn't beside him. He looked around the bedroom before searching the bathroom and when both turned out to be empty he headed out of the room in search of his elusive Welshman. When he stepped into the hallway the sound of quiet voices reached his ears. Sneaking closer to the stairs he listened hard and soon managed to identify those voices as belonging to Ianto and Tosh.

Concerned that he may have stumbled across a private moment he turned to head back to his room only stopping when he heard…

"I hope they enjoy it, I think Jack will." It was Ianto's voice and Jack found his curiosity piqued.

"I'm sure Jack will love it, Ianto." He heard Tosh reassuring the young Welshman.

"You don't think it's too childish do you?" Ianto asked sounding a little worried.

"No, it'll be fun. Besides, somehow I get the feeling a couple of the group didn't have much of a childhood, they might appreciate the chance to be a little childish for a while," Tosh replied.

"You might be right," Ianto agreed.

"Do you think it's too early to wake them up yet?" Tosh asked.

"I don't know what do you think?" Ianto asked.

It was silent for a few moments before Tosh said. "Let's do it."

Not wanting to be caught snooping or ruin Ianto's surprise Jack snuck back to the bedroom door and waited for Ianto to reach the top of the stairs. As soon as he heard footsteps approaching the door he opened it and walked out.

"Hey," he greeted his Welshman with a smile. "I was wondering where you went."

Ianto smiled back and slid his arms around Jack's waist, melting into the embrace as Tosh walked past them and bid Jack a quiet good morning also.

Jack returned her greeting before pressing a gentle kiss to the top of Ianto's head. "I love you," he whispered burying his face in Ianto's hair.

"I love you too," Ianto mumbled quietly in reply cuddling in a little closer.

Jack couldn't help but smile down at the other boy. He was certain that no matter how long they were together or how much older they got he'd never get sick of saying that or hearing it. They held each other for a moment longer before Jack asked, "So what are you doing up and about so early? Is everything okay?"

Ianto pulled back and smiled up at him. "Everything's just wonderful," he replied leaning up to kiss Jack gently. "Tosh and I have a surprise for the rest of you."

Jack raised an eyebrow at him. "A surprise? What kind of surprise?" he asked delightedly.

"Well, help me wake up the others and you'll find out," Ianto replied taking Jack's hand and pulling him down the hall way toward the other rooms.

It took about 10 minutes to wake up the others but at last everyone was up and gathered in the lounge room.

"Good morning everyone," Tosh greeted them brightly.

There were replies of good morning from half of the group while the rest of them simply groaned in response not being morning people.

"I know it's early but it's Easter morning and since we're not at home with our families Ianto and I decided to plan a little surprise for the rest of you," she informed them before motioning for Ianto to continue.

"We may not be children anymore but since we've had a bit of a rough trot over the last few weeks Tosh and I thought it might be fun to have a little Easter egg hunt. Therefore, hidden around the bottom level of the house, as well as the front and back yard, are 150 Easter eggs in various sizes and flavours. Whoever finds the most gets the giant bunny," Ianto finished holding up a large red Tulip bunny all wrapped up in pretty gold, blue and red foil.

All eyes in the room studied the bunny for a moment. Then, as if a bomb had gone off the group dispersed in a flash and began a mad hunt for Easter eggs.

As their friends ran around like mad chooks hunting the elusive Easter eggs Tosh and Ianto sat down on the couch and grinned at each other. Yep, this was the perfect way to spend Easter morning.

XX

Surprisingly, Katie won the Easter egg hunt. However she was gracious in victory and offered to share her giant bunny with everyone else. By the time the hunt was over Ianto and Tosh had breakfast ready and the group sat down together on the front veranda to eat it.

As soon as breakfast was done the group split off to their separate rooms to throw on swimmers intent on spending the day at the beach.

Ianto headed into the bathroom to slip his board shorts on. They were a new pair Jack had bought for him the other day while they were out shopping since both Jack and Ianto had negative associations with the pair Ianto had bought that night they went shopping with the girls. They'd split off from the rest of the group and headed over to the surf shop, just the two of them, not wanting to suffer through another several hours with Angela making them try on the entire store.

He threw on the sun-shirt Jack had bought for him and after checking his reflection briefly in the mirror headed back out into the bedroom he was sharing with Jack. He found the Canadian boy sitting on their bed with a handful of chocolate Easter eggs munching away with a happy grin on his face.

"Don't get chocolate on the bed now," Ianto warned playfully making his way over to sit down beside his boyfriend.

Jack turned that happy smile onto him and swallowed the mouthful of chocolate he was currently working on. "Yes, mum," he said jokingly causing Ianto to slap him playfully on the arm. They shared a chuckle before Jack's expression turned from playful to adoring and a warm smile spread across his gorgeous features.

"Thank you for this morning, it was really nice," he said sincerely reaching out with his chocolate free hand to gently grasp one of Ianto's.

Ianto smiled back at the other man and pulled Jack's hand up to his lips, kissing the back of it gently. "You're welcome," he replied tenderly. "You do so much for me all the time; I wanted to do something nice for you in return. I'm guessing you didn't get to do this much when you were a kid."

Jack shook his head. "No, not a lot. My parents weren't real big on holidays, although my nanny used to hide a couple of eggs around my room for me on the years when my parents were away for Easter." He smiled briefly at the memory before turning his attention back to Ianto. "I'm glad I got to share it with you though, it made this Easter a little more special," he said with an affectionate smile.

Ianto leant forward and captured Jack's lips in a gentle kiss, sliding his free hand up into Jack's short, dark hair. Jack kissed him back reaching around Ianto with his Easter egg filled hand and pulling him close. Ianto chuckled against Jack's lips and the Canadian pulled back joining him in his moment of laughter.

"Are you picking on me, Mr. Jones?" he asked jokingly.

"Absolutely not, Mr. Harkness, I'm laughing evilly at the thought of you squishing all your Easter eggs because you can't resist me," Ianto replied with an evil grin before jumping off the bed and flitting to the door. "Last one down to the beach is a rotten egg!" he called dashing from the room.

It was mere moments before Jack was on his tail and the rest of the group were watching them in amusement as they raced each other down to the beach.

XX

Monday arrived and Jack and Seeley were headed back into the hospital for their checkups. Ianto and Temperance went along with them while the others stayed behind, intent on cooking a nice dinner as a reward for the boys seeing as they both hated hospitals and didn't want to go.

The hospital wasn't having an overly arduous day and thankfully they didn't have to wait long for a Doctor. Ianto and Temperance were sent to wait outside the room while the check up was taking place and they took a seat on a bench just up the walkway from the room the other two were in. They'd been waiting maybe 10 minutes, chatting quietly about the upcoming semester, when suddenly Temperance froze mid sentence, her eyes glaring up the hallway.

"What's wrong?" Ianto asked turning to see what it was that had drawn her attention. He froze himself when his eyes fell on Lisa Hallet standing not far from them talking quietly to a nurse.

Before Ianto could say anything Temperance was up out of her chair and headed straight for the other girl.

_Oh no! _

He raced after her, but before he could stop her she'd grabbed Lisa by the front of her shirt and hit the other girl as hard as she could. Lisa fell like a lead balloon, blood pouring from her nose. Before she even had a chance to cry out in pain Temperance was yanking her to her feet, reefing her arm up behind her back and pushing her face first into a wall.

"Temperance, stop!" Ianto called out but the other girl wasn't listening to him.

"What the hell did you give them? Huh? What the hell gives you the right to just go around drugging people? What the hell made you think you could get away with it? Did you think we wouldn't know it was you? Did you? ANSWER ME?" Temperance screamed at the other girl.

"Temperance, stop! Let her go, she'd not worth it!" Ianto called out moving over to Temperance's side and placing a gentle hand on the American's arm. He saw tears swimming in the red head's eyes and her hands shook slightly where she held the other girl. He knew she was afraid of losing Seeley, he understood that feeling all too well, but she was also smart enough to know this wasn't the answer.

"Come on, T, let her go. I know what she did was wrong but you're better than her and you know this isn't the way to deal with this," he said gently squeezing her shoulder.

Temperance closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. Finally, her eyes opened once more and she turned her attention to Ianto. She just looked at him for the longest time before releasing her grip on Lisa and moving away. "You're right," she admitted looking down at the other girl who was now crouched on the floor cradling her injured arm gently to her chest and sobbing quietly.

"Don't you ever come near my friends again," she snarled at the sobbing girl. "I don't care who you are or what makes you think it's okay to do things like that to other people, but it's not okay, and whether I'm better than you or not if you ever lay a hand on one of my friends again I will hurt you, a lot. Do you understand me?" she asked.

Lisa looked up at her and nodded.

"Good," Temperance snarled before turning away from the cowering girl.

"I'm sorry," Lisa called out quietly causing Temperance to stop and turn back to face her once more.

"What?" the redhead demanded quietly.

"I'm sorry," Lisa repeated tearfully. "What happened…it wasn't supposed to happen; they were never supposed to get sick like that. I'm sorry."

Ianto studied her for a moment as did Temperance. He was shocked to find that she actually looked sincere. This was getting more and more curious by the moment.

After a few moments Temperance spoke once more. "I can see that. I just honestly don't care right now," she snarled before turning and walking away.

As soon as she was out of the way nurses flooded to Lisa's side and Ianto watched as they helped her up and ushered her over to a bed to be examined. As she went her gaze caught Ianto's and her eyes filled with a mixture of sadness and guilt. 'I'm sorry,' he saw her mouth at him before she was surrounded by nurses once more.

Ianto sighed and turned to look for Temperance. He found her perched on the seat they'd occupied earlier and headed back over to sit with her. "Are you all right?" he asked as he slid in beside her.

Temperance nodded. "I'm fine," she replied simply and he didn't press the issue any further. They sat there in silence for a few minutes before she spoke again. "Were you as scared as I was that night?" she asked quietly her eyes glued to the door the doctor had taken Jack and Seeley through.

"I was terrified," Ianto admitted and Temperance nodded.

"I wasn't supposed to feel like this yet. I wasn't supposed to find this until I was older. Now…I don't know what I'd do without him, and that night, when I realized he'd been drugged…" she trailed off, tears slipping down her face.

Ianto reached over and took one of her hands, squeezing it reassuringly. "He's okay," Ianto whispered. "You figured it out and you got him to the hospital, you saved him, T, and you saved Jack too. I don't think I ever thanked you for that either."

"What if I hadn't?" Temperance asked. "I was so angry at him that I nearly missed it and what if I had?" she asked tearfully.

"It doesn't matter because you didn't," Ianto replied gently not liking Temperance's thought process any more than she obviously did. "Hey, look at me," he ordered gently and she turned her gaze from the door onto him. "You saved them," he said once more his gaze burning into hers. "They're here right now because of you, wondering what could have happened is pointless because it didn't happen and it's not going to."

"I'm not used to this, needing someone else, having people be nice to me or care about me. I've never had friends; people usually shy away from me because they don't understand me or they think I'm strange, and now that I do I'm afraid I'm going to lose them. I don't like feeling like this," she admitted looking away.

"No one ever does, T," Ianto replied understandingly. "Believe me when I tell you I know exactly how you feel. The thing is everybody feels like that at one point in their lives or another, it's not a particularly nice feeling but it's part of being human and you can't avoid it forever. Tell me something though; do you regret your relationship with Seeley or your friendships with the others because of it? Do you want to go back to the way things were before you came here?" he asked.

She shook her head and he smiled at her.

"Exactly. Feelings of fear and worry aren't wonderful but they come with feelings of happiness and love and that ultimately makes the bad feelings worth it don't you think?" he asked.

Temperance looked down for a moment in thought before nodding. "I guess it does," she replied.

"You might not have planned on this just yet but hey, neither did I. It doesn't make it any less special or wonderful and I wouldn't change it for anything. I love Jack, and some people might tell me I'm too young to know what that means but I disagree, I know exactly what I feel and no one can take that away from me. Yes, it might mean a little more worry than I would have had otherwise, but Jack's worth it, and I feel the same about the rest of you and the friendships I've made since I got here. I was just as worried about Seeley being in here that night and I would have been equally worried if it had been you or Tosh or Morghan. It just means you care, T, and it's not something to be ashamed of," he said squeezing her hand once more.

Temperance looked back at him for a few more moments before reaching forward and pulling him into a warm hug. "I'm really glad I met you," she confided.

"Me too," Ianto replied holding her back.

They pulled back and Temperance gave him a watery smile. "Thanks," she said quietly.

"Any time," he replied with a friendly smile.

She returned his smile and was just wiping her eyes when Seeley's voice drew their attention down the hall.

"T, are you all right? What happened?" he asked worriedly moving swiftly to her side.

"Nothing, I'm okay, really," she reassured the worried American. "Are you okay? Are you finished with the doctor now?" she asked.

"Almost," Jack replied from the position he'd taken up on the other side of Ianto. "They want to take a blood test just to double check everything and they said that shouldn't talk long, but we have to wait for someone to come down and do it so it might be a few minutes."

Temperance nodded. "Okay. Do you just have to wait here?" she asked.

Seeley nodded. "They're sending the blood collection people down to us as soon as they're free. Are you sure you're okay?" he asked still obviously concerned.

Temperance nodded and cuddled into his side. "I'm fine," she reassured him once more.

Jack looked at Ianto questioningly but Ianto just shook his head, there'd be time to talk about what happened later. They'd been waiting for a few minutes when Ianto's mind travelled back to Lisa. He knew it was silly but he really wanted to know what she'd meant when she said the side effects shouldn't have happened. He shouldn't wonder and he shouldn't care, he knew that, but he couldn't quell his curiosity.

"I'll be back in a minute," he told Jack before kissing the Canadian gently on the forehead and heading over to the nurse's station. "Excuse me," he addressed the young nurse behind the desk. "That girl from before, the one my friend hit, where did they take her?" he asked.

The nurse looked back at him cautiously. "Why do you want to know?" she asked.

"I just wanted to talk to her about something. Trust me I have no intention of hurting her, if I wanted that I wouldn't have stopped my friend before," he reassured the young nurse.

She looked back at him considerately for a moment before glancing down at her list. "Room 25," she informed him. "There's a security guard posted out in the hall," she warned him before turning her attention back to the computer she'd been typing on before he'd come over to talk to her.

Ianto thanked her quietly before heading off down the corridor to look for Lisa's room. He found it rather quickly and knocked a few times before opening the door and walking in. Lisa was sat on the bed, one arm in a sling the other holding an ice pack up to her nose. She looked up as he entered as did the nurse who was tending to her.

"Can I help you, love?" the nurse asked warily and Ianto remembered her as one of those who'd been present during the altercation.

"I was wondering if I might talk to Miss Hallett alone for a moment," he replied. "And like I told the nurse at the desk who gave me the room number if I wanted her hurt I wouldn't have stopped my friend before," he reassured the concerned woman.

"It's okay," Lisa told the woman. "I'd like to talk to him too."

The nurse studied her for a moment before nodding and heading toward the door. "There's a security guard posted out in the hall, I'll leave the door open, call if you need help," she said as she left the room.

Ianto couldn't blame them for being cautious; he'd probably be the same in their place.

"You hate me don't you?" Lisa asked drawing his attention back to her.

"I'm trying not to, you're not making it easy for me though," he replied moving over to stand beside the bed.

She nodded. "I know, I'm sorry, Ianto," she said looking down at her hands. "Thank you, for helping me before. I know I deserve a hell of a lot worse than what she did to me but I am grateful for your help, thank you."

Ianto shook his head. "No, don't thank me; I did it for her not for you. You were right before when you said you deserve a hell of a lot worse than what she did to you, and I wasn't lying when I told her she was better than you. I stopped Temperance before because her life has been hard enough already and the last thing I wanted was to see her charged for protecting someone she cares for."

"She wouldn't have been," Lisa replied. "No matter what she did to me I wouldn't have pressed charges, I know what we did was wrong."

"Then why did you do it?" Ianto asked. "If you knew what you were doing was wrong then why do it? For that matter why try and steal somebody else's boyfriend in the first place? I can't understand you, Lisa, you're a pretty girl, I imagine you could be capable of being nice if you wanted to, I can't say for sure but you don't seem stupid. You have plenty going for you, why not go out and find a man of your own? Why hang around with someone like Gwen? Honestly, where's the logic?" He asked.

Lisa shook her head. "You wouldn't understand," she replied. "You don't know what I've been through, the life I've lived."

"I know that whatever happened to you up until now doesn't excuse what you did. I know what no matter how hard your life had been before now there are people out there who've had it worse and still turned out okay. Your past is no excuse, Lisa; you're in an entirely different country for god's sake! If you can't start fresh here then where?" he asked exasperated.

"Do you think the rest of us have had it easy? Do you think we've grown up in happy, candy, puppy land surrounded by fluffy bunnies and rainbow? Believe me we haven't, and you don't see us acting the way you do," Ianto continued.

Lisa nodded. "I know," she whispered tears falling from her downcast eyes. "I'm sorry."

Ianto sighed. As much as he didn't want to he felt sorry for the girl. She obviously felt bad enough about what she'd done already and here he was telling her off and making her feel worse. Not that he was entirely convinced she didn't deserve it but still, he'd had his say now, he should throw her a bone or something. "If it makes you feel any better I don't hate you as much as Gwen," he informed her.

"Well that makes sense I suppose, she's the one who went after your boyfriend," Lisa replied with a nod.

"Actually no, that has nothing to do with it," he replied causing her to look up at him in surprise. "Jack may be my boyfriend but Seeley is one of my best friends and I didn't like seeing his suffer anymore than Jack. No I feel slightly less hatred toward you because you're sorry for what you did and I can see that you are. Gwen on the other hand couldn't give a damn," he explained.

Lisa nodded. "I am sorry, I never meant for them to suffer like that," she said contritely.

"So what happened then?" Ianto asked. "If the point of the drug wasn't to hurt them then what was it for?"

Lisa looked down. "It doesn't matter, it was a stupid notion really," she replied.

"What, did you think deep down Seeley really loved you and just didn't know it?" Ianto asked in disbelief.

Lisa didn't answer and Ianto knew he'd hit the nail right on the head. He could definitely imagine Gwen thinking that about Jack, she was certainly enough of an egomaniac. Still, it was a ridiculous notion; then again Ianto had thought the idea of Jack ever wanting him was a ridiculous notion when they first met.

"They were never meant to get hurt," Lisa spoke again after a moment. "Even if they didn't really want us the drug shouldn't have done what it did to them, not if it was mixed properly."

Those last few words caught Ianto's attention. "So are you saying that it wasn't?" he asked.

Lisa looked back at him for a moment before shaking her head. "I don't think so, no," she replied.

"But if you mixed it-" Ianto began.

"I didn't," Lisa interrupted before he could get any further. "That's why I'm saying I don't think so. I created the drug yes, I wrote out the proper formula, but I wasn't the one that mixed it the night we gave it to Seeley and Jack."

Ianto didn't have to ask who had. "What did she do wrong?" he asked.

Lisa shook her head. "That's the thing, I don't know, she won't tell me. I was here today trying to get a hold of their charts so I could find out for myself," she replied.

"Ok, let me get one thing straight. You made the drug right?" Ianto asked.

Lisa nodded.

"I would assume that means you have a decent knowledge of pharmaceuticals and chemistry but what about Gwen? Does she know as much as you?" he asked.

Lisa shook her head and Ianto immediately began to feel ill.

"So you're telling me she made up the mixture wrong with absolutely no idea what it was going to do to them?" he asked.

Lisa nodded.

"Oh my god," he all but gasped wrapping his arms around himself. "She could have killed them," he snarled outraged." What the hell was she thinking?"

Lisa shook her head once more. "I don't know," she replied. "I think she was feeling snarky toward Jack after what he said to her, you know the whole hell hath no fury theory. Thing is I don't think she expected this to happen anymore that I did. The calculations I created for the drug mixture had to be completely precise, if she'd been distracted and measured out so much as a ml more than she should have…well, you saw the end result," she explained.

"So you think this could have been accidental?" Ianto asked.

"I don't know," Lisa replied looking down at her hands once more.

Ianto took a moment to calm himself, trying to focus on something other than his boyfriend's close brush with death. "Why are you friends with her?" he repeated his earlier question to give him something else to think about.

Lisa shook her head not looking up from her hands. "I don't know. She's the kind of friend I always attract, I don't know why," she replied.

"I don't believe that," Ianto replied. "If you attract people like that there's usually a reason and I'm sure if you really thought about it you'd be able to work out exactly what that reason was. Honestly, I just don't think you want to try."

Lisa's head snapped up at that comment and she glared at him in annoyance. "You don't know me," she snapped.

"I don't have to," he snarled back.

"Don't you have somewhere else to be?" She asked. "Perhaps it's time you went there," she suggested gesturing toward the door with her uninjured arm.

"Whatever the problem is it's not going to fix itself," Ianto retorted ignoring Lisa's suggestion to leave. "You can run away from it all you want but if you ever want to have real friends or a real relationship with anyone you're going to have to deal with it."

"Thanks so much for your input, Doctor Phil, but I don't recall asking your opinion," Lisa snapped.

Ianto shrugged. "Fine, have it your way. I just hope for your sake that when you do finally deal with your issues there's someone around who cares about you enough to help you through it," he said patiently before turning around and heading for the door.

"Would you?" Lisa's question was so quiet he almost missed it.

"What?" he asked turning around to face her.

"Would you care about me?" she asked quietly looking down at her hands.

Ianto nearly fell over in shock; that was the last thing he'd ever expected the girl to ask. "Me?" he all but stuttered the question in his surprise.

Lisa looked up at him gingerly and nodded.

"I…I…ah…um, I'm with Jack," was all he could think to say in response.

Lisa nodded. "I know, and I wouldn't even dare to dream of trying to steal you away from him, I didn't mean it like that," she assured him. "I mean could you ever look at me as a friend? Could you ever care for me like you do for Temperance?" she asked quietly.

Ianto was stunned silent once more. What the hell was going on? When he finally managed to find his voice again he asked the obvious question. "Why?"

"Why what?" Lisa asked confused.

"Why would you want me to care about you? You don't even like me," Ianto elaborated.

"I never said I didn't like you," Lisa disagreed.

"Well the way you act toward me certainly doesn't indicate that you do," Ianto argued back.

"Think back to all the times you and I have ever been in the same place and tell me what I've ever done to you that could be considered unkind," she ordered with her eyebrows raised in his direction.

Ianto did as she asked and thought back to all the times he'd run into her and Gwen up until that point. Once he'd acknowledged every one of them he came to a conclusion that surprised him greatly. While Lisa had never stood up for him when the gap toothed cow had been teasing him she'd never actually been openly unkind to him either.

"I don't know…right now it's hard to think of you as anything other than the girl who drugged my friend and helped drug my boyfriend. I know you said you weren't the one who mixed the drug that particular night and I believe you, but it doesn't erase the fact that you made it in the first place."

Lisa nodded. "I know," she replied quietly.

"If you can make yourself into a better person and find a way to earn the forgiveness of the rest of my friends, maybe. Until then, no, I'm sorry," he replied truthfully.

Lisa nodded once more, her eyes filled with tears as well as hope. "Okay," she replied with a watery smile. "I'll see you at school."

Ianto nodded and left the room to find his friends. He found Jack and Seeley walking out of the room they'd been in previously and Temperance standing to greet them.

"Sorry," he quietly apologised as he reached the group.

"Where did you go?" Jack asked curiously.

Ianto shook his head. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you," he replied honestly.

XX

end of chapter 18.

Ok so there it is I hope you liked it. As I said as soon as I have a few minutes you'll get another one, promise. I won't beg for reviews this time since I know I'm going to be too busy to answer them for a while but if you want to send them I would love to hear from you :). Thanks a bunch for all your support and for my lovely winners feel free to write to me with your requests.

Kisses and hugs and all things shiny.

Kayla


	19. First Date

Hello everyone! Yes I'm back, finally I know. I've finished UNI now and have started my new job. To say the last year has been draining would be an understatement and a half but I'm finally getting a chance to relax while I settle back into working life! I also developed a Harry Potter obsession for a while but I'm glad to say my brain's taken a rest from that for a while, something it did when I saw a few seconds of Miracle day and Jack was with that other guy. I know it was in the past but I didn't like it and it drove me back to Janto so YAY!

Anyway I posed a competition a few chapters ago and both my winners asked for our boys to go on a date so here it is. **Angel-eyes56 and ciocia** I'm so sorry this took so long and I hope you haven't given up on me. I really liked how this turned out and I hope you like it too.

My thanks as always g to Socalrose for being a brilliant beta and getting this back to me so quickly even though she's crazy busy at the moment. Thank you love, I really appreciate it.

Ok here we go, I know it's been a really long time but reviews will spur me on to write quicker hint hint. I've already started on the next chapter so it shouldn't be too far away and my mind's been taken over one more by this story so more chapters shouldn't be far away.

**First Date**

Ianto checked his reflection for the tenth time in twenty minutes. He had to look perfect for his first real date with Jack and right now he didn't like the shirt and tie combination he'd chosen for tonight; it just wasn't working for him.

"Ianto, stop fussing," Tosh's voice interrupted from behind him and he turned to see the girl entering the bathroom with a look of determination on her face. "You look fine, better than fine, marvellous even."

"But the tie-" he began only to be cut off mid-sentence.

"Looked perfect the other day when you picked it out with a clear head, you just think it looks wrong now because you're stressing and you have to stop it. The tie looks perfect, you look perfect and your date is downstairs waiting for you looking just as perfect as you do. Now," She walked over and batted his hands away from the tie before readjusting it for him, "you know Jack loves you more than anything in the world. You need to stop worrying so much about tonight and focus on having a good time. Honestly, once you get downstairs and see him nothing else is going to matter to you anyway, trust me." She finished with his tie and reached back to grab his jacket off the hook on the back of the door.

"I know he does," Ianto replied as she helped him into it. "It's just that I want tonight to be perfect, you know. So much crap has happened to us lately and I just want tonight to go well. I don't want us looking back on it in years to come and thinking what a horrible first date it was," He sighed. "I know I'm being silly and monopolising the bathroom, I'm sorry, Tosh," he said turning back to face the girl with an apologetic smile. "Do I still look perfect?"

Tosh smiled, "Of course you do," she replied leaning forward to kiss his cheek gently. "Now go and have a good time; I want to hear all about it tomorrow all right."

Ianto smiled, "All right," he agreed. He took a deep breath to calm himself before heading out of the room and into the hall way. Angela and Tosh had been kind enough to give up their bathroom for the evening so Ianto could use it to get ready while Jack used the one in his and Ianto's room. It sounded silly but they wanted to get ready separately so the new outfits they'd picked out on a recent shopping trip could be a surprise for each other.

He was halfway down the stairs when Jack came into view and Ianto had to stop for a moment to catch his breath. Tosh hadn't been lying when she'd said Jack looked perfect. He was dressed immaculately in a black suit with a royal blue shirt that really brought out the blue in his eyes and a black tie. His hair was in its usual, slightly crazy style but it looked like he'd done it with a little more care for the occasion. All in all he looked breathtaking and a warm feeling flowed through Ianto at the thought that Jack had dressed up just for him.

Just then Jack looked over in his direction and the smile that crossed his face was blinding. He moved over toward the stairs and Ianto forced his brain to make his legs move again.

"Ianto," Jack greeted him adoringly as they met at the bottom of the stairs. He took Ianto's hands and kissed him softly "You look amazing, love."

Ianto felt a small blush cross his face at the compliment and he returned Jack's smile. "So do you," he replied.

Jack's smile widened and he kissed Ianto once more. "Are you ready to go?" he asked when he pulled away.

"Yeah," Ianto replied and Jack led him to the door.

"Bye all," Jack called before opening the door and allowing Ianto to go through first. Ianto didn't hear the others reply as Jack shut the door instantly and took his hand once more leading him out toward the road. "I hope you like the car I organised for this evening," he said and Ianto whose attention had been focused on Jack looked over at the road, his eyes widening in surprise.

Waiting for them in front of the house was a snow white, stretch limousine.

"Oh my god, Jack," Ianto gasped in shock and Jack just laughed before pulling him toward the car. The driver who was waiting by the door opened it for them and Jack motioned for Ianto to climb in first before thanking the man and sliding in beside him. They got comfortable and Jack wrapped an arm around Ianto's shoulders pulling him close.

"Do you like it, love?" he asked.

"It's amazing, Jack," Ianto replied looking around him in awe.

Jack chuckled at him once more. "I'm glad you like it," he replied taking one of Ianto's hands in his and kissing it. "I wanted to do something special for you."

Ianto turned his attention to Jack and smiled fondly at the other boy. "I love you," he said softly leaning up to kiss the gorgeous Canadian. He felt Jack kiss him back and he slid his hand up into Jack's hair pulling him closer. He chuckled as they parted and Jack looked at him curiously. "I was just thinking I'd better be careful not to mess up your hair before we get to where we're going or else they're going to wonder what we were doing in here," Ianto explained.

"Let them wonder," Jack replied leaning forward to kiss him again in a way that made Ianto's heart race in his chest. Ianto moaned quietly and kissed him back pulling himself closer to the Canadian and loving the way Jack's arms tightened around him.

When at last they separated for air Ianto smiled. "You are so good at that," he said breathlessly causing Jack to chuckle at him again.

"I love you, Ianto Jones," Jack replied leaning his forehead against Ianto's and gazing lovingly into his eyes.

"I love you too," Ianto replied running his hand through Jack's hair and down his neck causing the Canadian to purr in pleasure. "So are you going to tell me where we're going?" Ianto asked after a few moments of silence.

"We're going out for dinner," Jack replied with a grin.

"Yes I know that, where?" Ianto asked.

"Somewhere pretty," Jack replied causing Ianto to roll his eyes at the Canadian.

"Come on, Jack, tell me," he mock whined at the other boy and Jack just laughed at him.

"You'll know when we get there," Jack replied, "which won't be long because it's not far away."

Ianto gave him a mock pout before sighing overly dramatically and leaning into him. "Fine, make me wait then," he said as if it were a huge burden. Jack laughed at him some more and kissed the top of his head.

"You know you're adorable when you don't get your way," he informed Ianto.

"Mmm not adorable," Ianto mumbled disgruntled.

"You are too," Jack argued.

"Am not," Ianto argued back.

"Are too."

"Am not."

"Are too."

"Fine, then you're adorable when you talk in your sleep," Ianto countered quoting a conversation the couple had a few days earlier. Jack had been talking to Ianto in his sleep one night and Ianto had found it absolutely adorable. Jack had been absolutely mortified however and kept arguing with Ianto that it was embarrassing and in no way cute.

"I am not," Jack argued back.

"Are too."

"Am not."

"Are too."

And so the play argument continued all the way to the restaurant but at least it gave the pair something to do on the drive and kept Ianto occupied so he couldn't ask any more questions. Ianto was pretty sure Jack had done that on purpose.

When they finally arrived Jack was pouting at Ianto who was smiling smugly at his love's annoyance. The door opened and the driver informed them that they'd arrived at their destination. Ianto's grin intensified and he dove for the door trying to get out before Jack. He managed his task by the skin of his teeth and looked up at the building in front of him in awe. It was huge, there were lights decorating the outside beautifully and if Ianto wasn't mistaken the ocean right behind it.

"Do you like it love?" Jack asked coming up behind him and slipping his arms around Ianto's waist.

"Are we really going in there?" Ianto asked.

"Sort of," Jack replied and Ianto looked back at him curiously.

Jack smiled. "Come on," he said pulling Ianto toward the building. They reached reception and Jack spoke to the woman behind the counter while Ianto took in the massive expanse that was the foyer. After a minute Jack was taking his hand again and leading Ianto over to the lift. He made Ianto shut his eyes as he hit the button and wouldn't let him open them until he said so. He took advantage of Ianto's lack of vision to kiss him when he wasn't expecting it and Ianto couldn't help but smile at the little game they were playing.

When the lift reached the floor Jack had asked for he led Ianto out ordering him to keep his eyes closed as they walked. Finally after what felt like ages Jack let him open his eyes.

Ianto gasped at the sight that met him. They were standing on the roof of the building which had been set up as a private dining area complete with braziers in case it got cold as the night progressed. In front of him was a table set for two with all the trimmings and behind it was the most beautiful view of the ocean Ianto had ever seen.

"Jack, it's beautiful," Ianto gasped turning to look back at the other man.

Jack smiled, "You're beautiful," he replied closing the gap between them and pulling Ianto into a soft kiss. "It's all for you, love," he whispered when they parted. "I love you so much."

"I love you too," Ianto replied cuddling into the Canadian. After a few moments they parted and Jack led Ianto to his chair. They'd been sitting mere moments before a waiter appeared out of nowhere and handed them menus to peruse. Jack ordered a bottle of wine with a wink in Ianto's direction and once the waiter had headed inside to retrieve it he grinned at Ianto.

"I have to admit I'm quite happy with the law over here that says we're allowed to drink at 18," he said cheerfully.

"I'm not 18," Ianto argued.

"No, but no one's going to be checking here, trust me, I paid them far too much money," Jack replied with a cheeky grin.

Ianto laughed as the waiter returned with their wine and took their dinner orders.

XX

Dinner was perfect and once it was over Jack moved over to a small table near the door which Ianto hadn't even noticed was there. He spent a few seconds fiddling with something Ianto couldn't see before the sound of music touched Ianto's ears. Jack returned to the table and held his hand out to Ianto with a soft smile.

"Dance with me, Mr Jones?" he asked.

Ianto returned his smile and placed his hand in Jack's allowing the other man to help him to his feet. They moved to a free area and Jack pulled Ianto close before starting to sway to the music. Ianto cuddled into Jack pressing his face into Jack's neck and breathing in his wondrous scent as he moved along with the Canadian.

"Are you having a good night, love?" Jack asked softly.

"I'm having a wonderful night, cariad, thank you," Ianto replied just as quietly cuddling Jack closer.

They swayed together for a while as one slow, sweet song merged into another and they forgot about anything in the world outside of each other. Ianto would have been happy to stay like this forever and he was pretty sure Jack felt the same. Eventually Jack spoke ending their quiet moment.

"I have something for you," he said softly.

"Really?" Ianto asked. "You shouldn't have gotten me anything, Jack, you already did all of this for me," he argued feeling guilty because he didn't have the money to get anything for Jack in return.

Jack pulled back slightly and smiled down at Ianto. "I know but…well…you could say it's a present for both of us," the Canadian replied reaching into his pocket and pulling out a small, blue, velvet bag. He handed it to Ianto and smiled at him sheepishly. "Open it," he urged gently.

Ianto sighed in annoyance and opened the bag before tipping the contents into his hand. Inside was a gorgeous, silver bracelet with thick links on the bottom and a flat clasp on the top with words engraved into it. It was too dark for Ianto to make out so he tilted it toward the light of the candles and immediately felt his eyes tear.

'_My life, my love, my heart. Forever yours, Jack'_

Ianto read the words and felt a sob rise in his chest. He brought his hand up to his face trying to push the tears back.

"Do you like it?" Jack asked hesitantly from beside him and Ianto nodded not trusting his voice. A tear slipped from his eyes and Jack's hand reached out to brush it away before caressing Ianto's face. "I want the world to know what you mean to me," he whispered leaning down low so his face was right next to Ianto's. "I want to be by your side forever. I love you, Ianto."

Ianto felt a small sob escape him and he threw his arms around Jack holding him close. "I love you too, so much," he sobbed gripping the Canadian tightly. Jack held him back and Ianto could feel a slight tremble in the Canadian's frame. It took Ianto a moment to realize he wasn't the only one crying.

"I never want to be away from you," the Canadian sobbed. "I never want to lose you again. Those few weeks were so dark and awful I felt like someone had ripped my soul out. Don't ever go away again, please, promise me you won't."

"I won't, I promise I won't," Ianto replied holding the shaking boy tighter.

They held each other for what felt like hours allowing themselves time to regain their composure. When they pulled away at last they took turns wiping each other's tears away before Jack helped Ianto slip the bracelet on and clasp it. Ianto looked down at his arm for a moment with a smile. He wasn't likely to miss the bracelet's presence on his wrist, it was quite heavy and he wouldn't want it any other way.

"It looks good on you," Jack complimented. Ianto looked up at him with a smile.

"It just goes to show I love a man with excellent taste," Ianto replied causing Jack to chuckle slightly. "I love it, Jack, thank you. But you know this means I'm going to have to get something for you now too."

Jack shook his head. "No you don't, you've given me you that's all I want. But if you really don't feel like that's enough then just wear that every day, let the world know you're mine, that will be the best gift you could ever give me," he replied with a soft smile.

Ianto shook his head. "What am I going to do with you, Jack?" he asked returning the other boy's smile.

"Love me forever," Jack replied in a hopeful tone. This time it was Ianto's turn to laugh and he leant forward to kiss the Canadian.

"Done," he affirmed reaching up to stroke Jack's gorgeous face. They smiled at each other adoringly for a moment before Jack asked Ianto if he was ready to go. Ianto agreed and they headed toward the lift.

The limousine was waiting for them on the street and they climbed in before Jack asked the driver to take them to a nearby theatre. Ianto looked at Jack questioningly and the Canadian just smiled at him as the limousine pulled away from the resort.

"Where are we going?" Ianto asked.

"To a theatre," Jack replied with a mischievous grin.

Ianto glared at him playfully. "Yes I got that part, why?" he asked.

"There's something on that I want to see and I'm pretty sure you do too," Jack replied.

"And that would be?" Ianto asked.

"Why don't you look out the window and see for yourself," Jack replied motioning toward the window on Ianto's side of the car. Ianto looked out and smiled as he saw the sign on the front of the theatre they were pulling up in front of.

"We're going to see Wicked?" he asked excitedly.

"Yep," Jack replied and Ianto all but leapt on him grinning from ear to ear.

"I've always wanted to see this," Ianto exclaimed happily.

"I know," Jack replied hugging Ianto in return.

"I love you," Ianto said happily.

"I love you more," Jack replied and before Ianto could reply the driver was opening the door to let them out.

XX

After the stage show, which they'd enjoyed from the comfort of a private box, Jack and Ianto got back into the limo and headed back to the beach house. When they arrived Jack climbed out and helped Ianto out before thanking the driver and leading Ianto up toward the door.

"Take a walk with me?" he asked motioning toward the beach behind the house. Ianto agreed with a smile and Jack led the way out toward the water. They walked in silence for a few minutes simply enjoying the sound of the waves crashing on the sand.

"It's so beautiful," Ianto stated looking around him dreamily. "Thank you for bringing me here, Jack," he finished looking over at the boy he loved.

Jack returned his smile and wrapped an arm around Ianto's shoulders pulling him close. "You're more than welcome, gorgeous," he replied kissing Ianto's hair gently. "I'm just glad we sorted everything out before the holidays ended and I did get to spend some time here with you."

"So am I," Ianto replied snuggling in closer to the Canadian.

"I'm sorry about before by the way," Jack said looking down at Ianto sheepishly. "I didn't mean to get so morbid and emotional on you. I just…I'm just so happy you're here and that we sorted everything out. Even thinking about those weeks without you is just…" he trailed off and Ianto came around to stand in front of him reaching out to take the Canadian's face gently in his hands.

"You have nothing to be sorry for," he reassured the Canadian. "I get emotional enough on a normal day, you're allowed to every once in a while." He gazed into Jack's lovely blue/grey eyes for a moment before speaking again. "It was hard for me too, not a single wound I've ever had inflicted on me has hurt like that, I felt like I was dying the whole time you were gone. I missed you so much and I honestly thought I'd ruined everything and you'd never talk to me again. You have no idea how thankful I was that you hadn't stopped loving me"

Jack reached out and slipped his arms around Ianto's waist. "Never," he whispered. "I meant every word that's engraved on that bracelet; you're everything to me."

"As you are to me," Ianto replied with a soft smile. "I never want to be apart from you again either and I'm so glad I'm here with you. I love you, Jack."

Jack returned his smile. "I love you too," he replied before pulling Ianto into a deep, passionate kiss.

XX

end of chapter

So there we go, our boys finally got a real date! A bit more ritzy than most first dates but Jack has money and I wanted him to use it to spoil Ianto a bit. There was also a little angst since the boys are really only newly reconciled and break-ups tend to leave behind a few scars that take a while to heal.

As I wrote at the top I know I've been terribly slow in updating but I would love to hear from you about what you thought of the chapter it took me ages to decide where the boys should go and so on. I'm also interested to see who is still interested in this story since it's been sleeping for a while so on that note PLEASE REVIEW! It's my birthday tomorrow and they would make me terribly happy seeing as I'm feeling a little old LOL.

Thanks for reading I hope you enjoyed. More up soon.

Kayla


	20. Bigotry and Mystery

Hi everyone here's the next instalment. It's a bit of an emotional one and we see a bit more about Ianto's past with Justin. There's also our boy's first run in with some nasty sorts who are opposed to their relationship. Anyway that's all I'm going to give away.

Big thanks as always go to my wonderful beta Socalrose who always does such an exceptional job.

Okay here we go. Review replies are at the bottom of the chapter :)

**Bigotry and mystery**

Ianto groaned as he dropped down on the couch in exhaustion. It was a month since the holidays had ended and he already wished they were back at the beach house. The moment they'd returned to school they'd been bombarded with assignments and new topics of study. That wouldn't be so bad but on top of that it was nearing time for the school's annual sports carnival and that meant the students had been out until all hours preparing the oval for the event.

As their school wasn't an overly large one their sports carnival comprised of all the students from their school as well as those from a neighbouring Christian school and the local public school. They competed as one house while the other school had two of their own and the five teams battled it out to see who would win. The schools took turns hosting the event and this year it was the exchange school's turn which was why all the students had been out assisting with the preparations that afternoon until dinner time.

Ianto was pretty sure most of them had been too tired to eat anything but they'd sat at the table in their half asleep state until dinner time had ended at which time they'd all dragged themselves back to their dorms for some much needed sleep.

He felt Jack collapse beside him and the Canadian pulled Ianto into his arms holding him gently. "I am so tired," he groaned.

"Mmmh," was all Ianto could say in response.

Owen and Seeley dropped down on to the two seater and single seater respectively and before Ianto knew it he could hear Owen snoring quietly. He chuckled to himself at the thought of his friend rolling off the couch in the middle of the night although in truth he wasn't faring much better himself. Oh well, he was comfortable, although he should check that Jack-

A soft snore from above him ended that train of thought and he glanced up to find Jack's eyes closed and his head resting on Ianto's. Ianto grinned at how cute the Canadian looked before closing his eyes and allowing sleep to claim him too.

The feeling of someone lifting him from his bed and carrying him off brought him back to consciousness and he immediately began to panic as memories of all the times Justin had sneaked into his room and stolen Ianto from his bed to take him back to his own for what he called 'fun' suddenly flew into Ianto's mind.

"No," he moaned sleepily and began struggling against the arms that were holding him. "No, Justin, put me down, leave me alone-"

"Ianto," Jack's gentle voice touched his ears and he immediately stopped struggling.

"Jack?" he asked hesitantly forcing his eyes open so he could see the other boy.

"Yeah it's me," Jack's voice reassured him as the Canadian came into view above him. "It's okay you're safe, nobody's going to hurt you," Jack whispered stroking Ianto's hair soothingly.

Ianto leant up and wrapped his arms around the Canadian's neck burying his face in it and breathing in Jack's soothing scent. "I'm sorry," he whispered remorsefully.

"It's not your fault," Jack replied, "I should have woken you up first I wasn't thinking, I'm sorry, love."

Ianto shook his head. "It's okay, it's not your fault either," he assured the Canadian quietly.

"We fell asleep on the couch I was just taking you to bed so you wouldn't wake up with a sore neck," Jack explained. "Do you want me to stay with you or leave you alone?" he asked.

"Stay with me, please," Ianto asked knowing he sounded pathetic and needy but really not wanting Jack to go away right now.

"All right," the Canadian replied and Ianto felt Jack lowering him onto his bed. The Canadian disappeared for a moment and Ianto heard the bedroom door shut before he felt Jack slide in beside him and pull the covers up over them. It wasn't until Jack's arms closed around him that Ianto realised he was trembling. Perfect, just what he needed.

"I'm so sorry," Jack whispered again.

"It's not your fault," Ianto replied as he had previously and cuddled into Jack's chest. "I love you."

"I love you too," Jack replied causing Ianto to smile as he drifted back to sleep. Unfortunately the scare from Jack picking him up hadn't had a chance to pass completely before Ianto fell asleep and he awoke several hours later from an awful nightmare to find Jack shaking him lightly, a look of concern on his face. Ianto immediately threw himself into the Canadian's arms holding him tightly as the last remnants of the dream faded from his mind.

"Are you all right?" Jack asked holding him back just as tightly and stroking his hair soothingly.

Ianto nodded, "This unfortunately isn't a first for me," he replied hating how his voice shook. "I just usually don't get nightmares when you're with me," he explained. "I'm sorry I woke you."

"Don't be sorry it's okay, it's my fault anyway," Jack replied. "And don't tell me it's not because we both know it is," he added before Ianto could argue. Jack was right and Ianto knew it he just didn't want the Canadian to feel guilty.

"Either way I'm glad you're here, thank you" Ianto replied allowing Jack's scent and his talented hands to soothe him. Suddenly a thought occurred to him and he asked. "I didn't hit you in my sleep or anything did I?" he asked concerned that he may have hurt the Canadian.

"No, you didn't," Jack assured him. "You were just talking in your sleep and struggling in my arms. I woke up pretty quickly I think."

"Promise?" Ianto asked.

"Yeah I promise," Jack replied.

"Okay," Ianto replied and snuggled into Jack's arms once more. It took him a little while but eventually he drifted back sleep with Jack's soothing hand still stroking his hair. This time he didn't dream at all.

XX

None of the boys went out running the following morning more interested in sleeping in seeing as they'd worked up more than a sweat the previous afternoon and would be doing so again after classes that day. Ianto was the first awake and he slipped out of Jack's grasp and headed out to switch on the coffee maker before heading for the shower. When he returned to his room it was to find Jack gone and he headed out to the common room to start on coffee for the others as he was sure they'd need it.

He stopped short when he entered the common room and found Jack, and Owen standing over near one of the couches whispering to each other. Jack noticed him almost immediately and smiled happily in greeting.

"Morning, Ianto," he greeted and Owen turned to smile at him also.

"Morning, Ianto," the Russian greeted him cheerfully with a smile of his own and Ianto studied the two of them closely for any sign that those smiles boded ill for him.

"Morning," he returned their greeting cautiously. "Is there something going on I should know about?" he asked.

"Actually maybe you can help us," Owen replied suddenly brightening and beckoned Ianto over. "I was reading up on the others in the exchange the other night because I was wondering when Katie's birthday was," he explained quietly as Ianto reached them. "When I was finished reading up about her I thought I'd check everyone else's birthday as well and I came across something quite interesting. Apparently Seeley's birthday falls in the next batch of holidays and I was thinking it might be fun to throw a surprise party for him only I'm not sure it Seeley plans on being around in the next holidays. Any idea if he is?" The Russian asked.

"No Seeley's not going to be here, remember he said so the other night he'd heading home during the next holidays," Ianto replied.

"Oh damn, I'd forgotten about that," Owen replied with a disappointed expression. "Well I guess that settles that doesn't it. Shame really, it probably would have been a lot of fun."

"Well I'm sure he'll appreciate you thinking of him," Ianto consoled the Russian boy before heading back to the bench the coffee machine was resting on. "How about a coffee to cheer you up?" he offered.

"I certainly won't say no, thank you, Ianto," Owen replied before flopping down onto the closest couch.

"I'm going to have a quick shower so don't make any for me yet," Jack informed Ianto before kissing him gently on the cheek and heading into their bathroom.

Ianto watched the other boy go before turning his attention back to the coffee machine. It wasn't like Owen to forget something like Seeley heading back home during the next holidays; he was always pretty on the ball with things like that. Also Jack made a point of making Ianto's presence known very quickly which if the pair were really discussing Seeley he could have just beckoned Ianto over and continued the discussion they were already having, there was really no good reason to interrupt it.

Ianto shook his head at himself, he was being silly and paranoid and he knew it. Ianto, Seeley and Owen had spoken about other things that night when they were discussing holidays maybe Owen had just been too busy thinking about his own family and hadn't heard Seeley say when he was going away, it happened. Also they'd been really busy with school work and the like not to mention all the crap that went on while they were on holidays with Seeley and Jack being poisoned. Owen had had a lot to think about lately he was bound to forget some things.

Mentally scolding himself for doubting his friends Ianto finished Owen's coffee and took the cup over to the Russian boy who was still sprawled over the couch. He looked deep in thought when Ianto reached the couch and it took Ianto actually saying his name before Owen noticed his presence.

"Oh, sorry, Ianto, I was just thinking," he apologised sitting up and taking the cup. "Thanks for this," he added before taking a sip.

"You're welcome," Ianto replied. "Are you all right? You were quite deep in thought when I came over, nothing's wrong is it?" he asked concerned about his friend.

"Oh, no," Owen replied shaking his head and giving Ianto a reassuring smile. "No everything's fine, I was just thinking about Katie's birthday and what I should get her. I mean I've been getting to know her pretty well but present buying is a difficult thing, I'm still not overly sure what she likes."

"You should ask the girls," Ianto suggested, "I'm sure they'd be able to help you they spend more time with Katie than anyone else since they share a dorm with her, they might be able to give you some ideas. Of course you could always throw her a party like you wanted to do for Seeley."

"I thought about that, unfortunately her birthday's in the holidays as well and she's also heading home for the two weeks. Besides I don't think she's really in to parties. Asking the girls was a good idea though, I think I'll do that, thanks for the suggestion," Owen said with a grateful smile.

"You're welcome again," Ianto replied giving a fake smile of his own before heading back to the coffee machine. Maybe he was reading too much into things but somehow he got the feeling Owen was lying to him. On top of that he was pretty sure he remembered Katie agreeing with Angela when she said she liked to party the day they all met.

Ianto didn't like the feeling that was currently filling him. Owen was his friend and Jack was his love, he didn't want to be second guessing them like he was but somehow he couldn't shift the feeling that there was more going on than they were telling him.

He heard the shower stop in his bathroom as well as Seeley's and started on coffee for Jack and the American. As soon as Seeley emerged Owen headed for the shower and Seeley headed over to Ianto.

"Morning," the American greeted him with a smile.

"Morning," Ianto greeted him back and handed him his coffee.

"Thank you," Seeley said taking the cup and sipping the liquid gold within. "Ah, you always make that perfect, thanks," he said giving Ianto a light clap on the shoulder before taking his coffee over to the couches and sitting down with it.

Well at least he seemed to be acting normal.

Ianto took Jack's coffee and his own and headed over to his love's door. He knocked lightly with his foot and when Jack opened the door for him he entered the room handing Jack his coffee. The Canadian took it with a grateful smile and a kiss before heading over to his computer which he'd seemingly just turned on. Ianto grinned at the sight his love presented before him. Jack was dressed in his school pants and shirt but the shirt was still open and offered a view of the Canadian's gorgeous chest. His crazy hair was still wet from the shower and small droplets were slowly making their way down his neck caressing the skin like a lover.

Ianto blushed at that last thought and shook his head to clear away the lust he felt rising within him. Jack's towel was hanging over the back of the chair he was sitting in so Ianto put his coffee down and moved over to stand behind the Canadian. Picking up the towel he gently wiped Jack's neck free of water droplets before running the towel over his love's hair to dry it. A quiet, contented purr escaped the Canadian and he leant back slightly into Ianto to give him better access.

"It feels so much nicer when you do that than when I do it," the Canadian said with a grin when Ianto had finished. Ianto smiled in response and leant down to kiss the skin on the back of Jack's neck.

"I'm glad you liked it," he whispered into the Canadian's ear smiling when he felt Jack tremble slightly at the sensation. "It's nice to be able to do something for you for once."

Jack's hand reached back for his and he held Ianto still while he turned his chair around to face him. He kissed the hand he was holding and stroked his fingers gently over the silver bracelet he'd given Ianto on the night of their date.

For the longest time they just gazed at each other, then Jack pulled slightly on Ianto's arm coaxing him onto the Canadian's lap. Ianto did as Jack wanted and once he was straddling Jack's lap the Canadian wrapped his arms around Ianto's waist and pulled him close resting his face against Ianto's chest. Ianto brought his own hands up to Jack's hair slipping his fingers through the dark brown strands and caressing them gently. He smiled as he felt Jack's fingers start to stroke his back through the fabric of his shirt.

"I love you," Jack whispered.

"I love you more," Ianto replied with a smile resting his face against Jack's hair.

"I'm sorry about last night," Jack whispered after a few moments of silence. "I didn't mean to frighten you. Did he do that to you often?"

Ianto took a deep, calming breath before replying. "More so when it first started, I got a bit heavier as I got older and it became more difficult for him." he paused for a moment to compose himself as the memories filled his mind. He didn't want to think about it but he knew Jack deserved to know why he'd panicked so much. "The first night it happened was the first night he…and I used to be a pretty heavy sleeper so I didn't wake up until he'd already started to…" he trailed off completely then feeling his body start to shake as the memories of that night assaulted him.

He felt Jack's arms tighten around him comfortingly and he slipped his own around Jack's shoulders holding to the Canadian as tightly as he could.

"I'm so sorry all those awful things had to happen to you," Jack whispered. "I wish so badly I could have met you sooner, that I could have protected you from him."

"You wouldn't have been able to help me, Jack," Ianto assured the Canadian. "I have quite a large number of friends back home and none of them had any idea what was going on. That was the way I wanted it; I wasn't ready to tell anyone until now and it's only because there's so much distance between Justin and I now that I felt able to say anything at all."

"I know," Jack replied tilting his head up to look at Ianto, "and I'm so grateful that you feel comfortable enough to talk to me about him. I want to help and I'm really glad that you're letting me try now, even if I still wish I could have been around sooner."

Ianto lent down and kissed Jack's forehead gently stroking the Canadian's hair. "You are a truly beautiful person, Jack Harkness."

"And you are an unfailingly brave one, Ianto Jones," Jack replied with an adoring expression on his lovely face.

"You make me brave," Ianto told him leaning his forehead against Jack's. "I'm really glad you're with me."

"So am I," Jack replied smiling up at him.

A knock on the door interrupted their moment and Owen called through to tell them that it was time for breakfast. With one last kiss the couple stood up and headed for the dining room with their friends Ianto's paranoia from earlier completely forgotten.

XX

Thankfully most of the sport carnival preparations had been done the previous day so they hadn't had anywhere near as much to do after classes that afternoon. Ianto figured that was a good thing seeing as the carnival was tomorrow and the school would likely want them all rested so they could compete to the best of their ability.

Most of the group had volunteered for an event or two; Ianto was pretty much the only one who couldn't due to his still healing ribs. He didn't really notice the pain anymore and his range of movement was fine but the doctor he went to for check-ups on a regular basis advised against engaging in any sports for another few weeks at least. Ianto chuckled to himself as he remembered the man making a point of advising Ianto not to engage in any sexual activity for the next few weeks either; of course that was probably because the man had seen him cuddling up to Jack in the waiting room and what normal person wouldn't be engaging in sexual activity with the Canadian every chance they got?

Of course Ianto wasn't normal but he wasn't about to tell the doctor that.

He looked over at Jack who was walking beside him holding Ianto's hand while he carried on a conversation with Morghan about a television show of some sort. He truly was a beautiful person just like Ianto had told him that morning. Ianto had no doubt that when he was ready to take their relationship further Jack would be the most amazing lover alive. He'd had several little niggles of lust over the last few months which gave him hope that he was getting closer to being ready for that step. He just hoped it didn't take too much longer.

"What are you thinking about in so much depth, love?" Jack asked slipping his arm around Ianto and pulling him close.

Ianto smiled, "You," he replied honestly leaning over to kiss Jack softly. Jack smiled at him as he pulled away and cuddled Ianto closer.

"Well, well, here's something you don't see every day, a group of teenagers walking along with two pansies in their midst and not one of them trying to correct their friends' behaviour." A nasty voice drew the group's attention to another group of teenagers approaching them from across the road. From their uniforms it was obvious they were from the Christian school and the looks they were giving Jack and Ianto were anything but friendly.

Ianto felt Jack pull him closer as the rest of their group closed ranks around the pair.

The boy at the front of the group curled his lip into a sneer as he noticed this. "You know god says all of you pansies are disgusting and unnatural and you're going to burn in hell for all eternity," he sneered.

"You know harassment is against the law and god also says judge not," Seeley replied calmly.

"Ah, one of us among the depraved, you do know that by associating with these kinds of people and allowing their disgusting little liaison to continue without at least trying to make them see the error of their ways you've also condemned your soul to eternal damnation," the other boy sneered back at Seeley.

"God also says we should love our brothers and be respectful to those around us even if their beliefs differ from ours. I will not condemn my friends just because the person they love happens to be the same sex. No one has the right to tell another who they can and cannot love and this bigotry you're spouting is just old and tired. We're in a new century and a new world now, that world prides itself on acceptance and inclusion of others and if you continue to cling to your old fashioned and out dated beliefs you're just going to get left behind," Seeley argued back with a superior smile on his face.

The other boy chuckled. "Oh how blinded you are," he said with a shake of his head. "You can spout that rubbish all you want we both know you're wrong. When you decide to come to your senses at last feel free to drop by and visit our school, until then we'll settle for seeing you at the carnival tomorrow. I do hope we'll have a chance to compete in something other than words," the other boy said with a smile before turning his attention to Jack and Ianto. "Do try to see the error of your ways before it's too late. You don't want to burn in hell for all of eternity do you?"

"Tell you what, we'll see you there," Jack shot back his voice dripping with venom.

The other boy just glared at him for a moment before moving away, the rest of his posse following close behind.

"What an asshole!" Angela exclaimed angrily. "What right does he have to stop us in the street and preach that crap to us? Who does he think he is the second coming?"

"No, he just thinks like a lot of other pathetic, closed minded people that the world should be the way they want it to be despite the diversity that now exists in it," Seeley replied angrily. "It's too bad I didn't get his name I'd look him up in the morning and make sure we were competing in the same events."

"Andrew Mason," Temperance informed the fuming American.

"What?" Seeley asked.

"His name was Andrew Mason, I saw it on his school ID," Temperance explained. "It was hanging off his pocket," she continued when the rest of the group just stared at her silently.

"Andrew Mason hey, well, looks like tomorrow just got a little more interesting for me," Seeley said with a grin before turning and heading toward the school grounds once again.

"Are you okay?" Ianto heard Jack ask as the rest of the group moved to follow.

"I'm fine," Ianto replied with a soft smile. "I've never been bothered by what assholes like that think of me or anything I do. If being who I am truly makes me more like Satan than god then I say hell must be a much better place to spend eternity than heaven," he added pulling Jack close. "Besides, you're worth it."

Jack returned his smile and leant over to kiss him softly. "I couldn't agree more," he replied.

XX

That night after dinner was over Ianto sent Jack into the shower first so he could sit down and check his email in private. Justin had been uncharacteristically silent for quite a while now and Ianto had to admit that concerned him. As soon as the computer was through its start-up Ianto opened the mail program and almost immediately an email from Justin flashed up on the screen. Ianto closed his eyes and took a deep breath before moving the mouse over and clicking on the message.

"_Well, well, well, Ianto, I honestly never thought you had it in you to defy me like that. I guess I underestimated just how much spirit you truly have and how much I'm going to need to do to break it completely._

_When mum told me you weren't coming home over the holidays I honestly didn't believe her. I mean you've never done anything like this before and, well, I'm sure you can understand why I thought she was yanking my chain. When I found out she was telling the truth I was stunned, I honestly didn't know what to say. All that planning just went to waste and I put a lot of time and effort into finding just the right way to greet you when you came home. I'm sure you can understand just how disappointed I was that it all went to waste just as I'm sure you now realise you're going to have to make this up to me in quite a big way when you do come home which I'm assuming will be next holidays. You understand if you don't come home this time…well…I'm not going to be able to forgive you and we both know how bad that could be for you._

_So here's the deal Ianto, you will come home in the mid-year break, you will tell mum and dad that we are going away together to catch up on the brother time we've been missing all year and you will come with me to the little holiday home I'm going to set up for us. You will then be a good little boy and do exactly as I tell you to make up for all the disobedience I've already tolerated from you this year. You will bleed for me when I want you to, you will scream for me when I want you to, and when we come back you will tell mum and dad that you don't want to go back to Australia and you will stay here with me until college starts in September at which time you will come with me to my college and behave as a good little bitch should._

_You don't want to force my hand on this Ianto. If you don't come back in the mid-year break things are going to get very ugly for you. I will not forgive you, ever, and we both know you really don't want that._

_Enjoy the rest of your semester, pet, I know you'll make the right decision and come home like a good little bitch at the end of it. Until then you just think about how naughty you've been and all the ways you are going to make this up to me._

_See you soon._

_Justin"_

Ianto deleted the message and ignored the others in favour of closing the computer and making his way shakily to the bed. He knew Justin's silence over the past few weeks could in no way be construed as a good sign and he'd been waiting for something like this to surface since school had resumed. He wished he could say that it didn't frighten him but it really did and he felt the shaking start almost immediately.

He'd have to go back eventually, he knew he would, and when that time came he would be completely at the mercy of Justin's anger. He honestly doubted he'd escape his next encounter with the other boy alive.

He heard the shower stop and he closed his eyes, taking a deep breath to calm himself and try to make the shaking stop. He could put off going home until the end of the year and that was exactly what he was going to do. He'd told Jack he'd be able to apply for college far away and finally be free of Justin once and for all but he'd forgotten that the Australian school year finished at a different time to the UK and America meaning he'd have to go home for a little while between the end of the exchange and the start of college.

He wouldn't survive that time at home, he now had no doubt of that, but he had until the end of the year and he was going to spend every second of that time he could with Jack. He felt tears prick at his eyes as the small part in the back of his mind that had been urging him to fight and survive since he was a young boy tried to convince him that it would be okay, that he'd work something out. He pushed it aside though, knowing that if he thought about it too much now it would just upset him which would lead to questions from Jack and he couldn't let the Canadian know he'd never see him again after this year; it would destroy the other boy.

He took a deep breath and composed himself preparing for the moment when Jack would stick his head in and tell Ianto the shower was free. He only had a little bit of time left with Jack and he was going to make it happy and memorable, no matter what it took. His composure held through his shower and the few minutes he spent talking to Jack before they climbed into bed to get a good night's sleep before the next day's sports carnival.

Once Jack had fallen asleep however Ianto's composure crumbled and he allowed the tears to overcome him as the thought of having to leave Jack forever filled his mind.

XX

End of chapter.

So what did we think? Anyone curious about Owen's actions at the start of the chapter? And what about Justin's email? Or Ianto finally opening up a little more about his past to Jack? I'd love to hear what you think.

**Review replies.**

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	21. Sports Carnivals and rogue soccer balls

Hey everyone I'm back with a whole new chappie which I hope you wholeheartedly enjoy. I got this back from my beta earlier today but decided at the last minute to change a few things which I'm doing in a hurry before my laptop battery dies so I apologise in advance for any gramatical errors you may find, they are entirely my own :)

Thanks Socalrose for betaing you did a brilliant job as always, get well soon xxoo

**Sports Carnivals and Rogue Soccer Balls**

The day dawned bright and sunny and quite warm despite the season. The school met for an assembly after breakfast to go over the rules and codes of expected behaviour before the students were sent out to the oval to begin the day. Ianto pushed aside the sadness he'd been feeling the previous night and focused on having a good day with his friends even when the two teams from the catholic school arrived with the asshole they'd met the previous day leading them.

Neither Tosh nor Morghan were into sports and Katie, Rhys and Angela were only participating in one event each so Ianto knew he'd have company most of the day. Their group found a spot in some shade, mindful of the fair skin shared by several of its members, and set up a day camp where those not participating could hang out and everyone else could return to after their events were finished. They lay out a big picnic rug Morghan had somehow managed to acquire and sat down together to wait for their events to start.

There was a speech by the principal along with words of encouragement and reminders of the importance of fair play and how it's the competing that counts before the students were allowed to head to the tables which had been set up to house the officials judging each event and check which events they were in and when they were occurring during the day.

Jack, Seeley, Owen, Mickey and Tom immediately headed over to the table to check for Andrew's name and which events he would be participating in before jogging back over to the group's base camp with satisfied grins on their faces.

"You look happy," Temperance noted.

"Turns out our friend is participating in several events, all of which have at least one of us participating in it also," Seeley explained his jovial mood with a satisfied smirk. "I am looking forward to seeing his face when we crush him."

"You shouldn't get overconfident," Temperance warned. "He might be very good at some of those events you never know, he could beat you instead."

Seeley's smile widened and he pulled her into his arms for a chaste kiss. "Ah yes but I have my good luck charm here with me, I can't lose," he said adoringly before pulling her into another kiss. When he pulled back the second time he moved to release her, however Temperance surprised the group by pulling the American back for a much more heated kiss.

There were cat calls and whistles from everyone around them and when Temperance pulled back it was a stunned but happy Seeley who stood before the young American girl. "I wanted to give you as much luck as I could," Temperance explained in a tone that sounded far more seductive than any of the group thought her capable of.

"Yeah, I get that," Seeley replied in a slightly stunned tone. "Thanks."

Temperance simply smiled at him before heading over to the table to check her own events. Seeley watched her go with a goofy grin on his face for several moments before turning back to smile at the rest of the group.

"Oh there is no way I'm losing now!" he exclaimed excitedly drawing cheers from the rest of the group as he turned and ran off to his first event.

Ianto watched him go with a smile. Seeley and Temperance were perfect together, he was so glad they'd realized it too.

Ianto grinned when he felt Jack's arms wrap around him from behind pulling him into the Canadian's muscular chest. He pressed a kiss to Ianto's cheek and whispered in his ear. "Perfect together aren't they? Not quite as perfect as us, but then again that's because we're us."

Ianto laughed. "So modest aren't you," he scolded playfully.

"No room for modesty when you look like we do," the Canadian replied bringing his lips to Ianto's in a thorough kiss. It took everything in Ianto not to groan as he kissed the Canadian back turning in his arms so he could return Jack's embrace. "I love you," Jack whispered as they parted.

"I love you, more," Ianto replied with a grin and Jack glared at him playfully.

"I'd argue with you but I have to go, we'll pick this up later," he promised bringing the arm Ianto's bracelet was on up to his lips and kissing first the back of his hand then the bracelet itself. His last kiss was to Ianto's lips before he ran out onto the oval leaving a smiling Ianto watching after him.

"That boy is a total fox, you are so lucky," A female voice broke through Ianto's happy moment and he turned to find a group of girls from the local public school watching him with big grins on their faces. He returned their smiles and replied.

"I know I am."

One of the girls tilted her head to the side and studied him for a moment. "Then again, perhaps he's the lucky one," she said with a thoughtful smile before bidding him good day and heading off with the rest of her group in tow.

"I think you just got hit on," Tosh said coming up to stand beside him with a suggestive grin on her face.

Ianto gave her his best stoic expression. "I don't know what you're talking about," he replied before moving to sit down on the blanket beside Morghan. A giggling Tosh soon dropped down beside him and they waited impatiently for the events to start.

XX

Most of the morning went smoothly with their school placing well in all of the events. So far they were winning which made Ianto smile particularly when the victory seemed to be bothering Mr Mason so much. Seeley hadn't been wrong when he said he wouldn't lose, he, Jack and Mickey had been victorious in all of the events they'd chosen to participate in while Tom and Owen had only missed out on victory in a couple of events themselves. The girls were also doing fabulously, particularly Ray who Ianto hadn't seen lose an event at all yet.

Jack returned to the area the group had adopted after every event for as much Ianto time as he could get before heading back out to compete some more. Ianto would be lying if he said he didn't love it. He had company pretty much all day with Morghan and Tosh not participating in events but Jack's frequent visits were better than any other company, not that he'd ever tell the girls that of course.

There was only a small window where Ianto was by himself and only because Tosh and Morghan had headed over to watch an event that Angela, Ray and Elena were competing in. They'd offered for Ianto to come with them but he'd declined wanting to stay and watch Jack and Seeley compete in the javelin. Of course that was the moment Andrew decided to pay Ianto a visit.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't one of the disgusting homos."

Ianto rolled his eyes at the pathetic opening line.

"You're all alone over here pansy, what happened? Did your friends finally see the light?" Andrew asked.

Ianto just shook his head refusing to be bated, "You do know that this is just pathetic right?" he asked the bigot. "I mean you have three schools of people here you could be talking to and instead you're over here having a conversation with me, the apparently evil pansy. Seriously, don't you think that's just a little sad? Are you sure it's not your friends' whereabouts we should be discussing?" he asked.

"So that's the game you're going to play is it? Pretend what I'm saying doesn't bother you?" Andrew asked leaning down so he was right in Ianto's face. "What if I said that your boyfriend, what's his name, Jack? Is a dirty, disgusting, filthy homo who deserves to have the shit beaten out of him before being left in a ditch to die like the animal he is. Still not bothering you?" Andrew snarled.

Anger boiled through Ianto like white hot lava. He wanted to explode, yell at the asshole and smash his head into the tree they were sitting under. But he knew that was exactly what the bastard wanted and he refused to give him the satisfaction. Instead he went with a reply he knew would piss the bigot off. "You do know that leaning down here and getting so close to me like this is probably giving people the wrong idea about you, particularly since I am a, what did you say before, filthy homo? You'd best be careful Andrew, people might start to think you're into me," he said calmly and with a smile.

Andrew's face turned the colour of a lobster and Ianto knew he was about to explode. He expected a violent reaction, he was surprised when suddenly Andrew's face took on a shocked expression and he turned around to look behind him. Ianto followed his gaze and found a young man, about the same age as himself, with short, spiky, blonde hair and brown eyes standing behind Andrew with his hands on his shoulders and his hips pressed into Andrew's backside.

"What the fuck?" Andrew snapped.

"Well I figured since your secret was out now you wouldn't mind," the blonde said with a cheerful smile. "I'm sorry was I wrong?"

Andrew leapt away from the boy, barely managing not to land on Ianto in the process. He then backed away from them both heading toward the oval. "You keep your dirty hands off me you filthy perverts," he snarled, his body shaking with rage while his face was filled with embarrassment.

"Oh no, don't go baby, we haven't even had a chance to snuggle yet," the blonde boy called out. "I can be the little spoon if you'd rather I'm a very good little spoon."

"Get the fuck away from me," Andrew screamed turning around and running away as fast as he could not looking in front of him to notice the chair that suddenly appeared in his path. He hit it and fell forward flipping the chair over as he went and ending up on his front with the chair stuck to his back.

"Oh look even the chair wants a cuddle," the blonde boy stated as the rest of the students who'd seen Andrew fall started laughing.

"I wonder if chairs have any sort of gender," a female voice asked and Ianto looked round to see Lisa standing behind him watching the events unfold with an amused glint in her eyes. "I guess I'll ask it when I go back and retrieve it shall I?" she asked grinning down at Ianto.

"You put that there?" he asked surprised.

"No, I wouldn't do something like that," she replied a look of fake innocence on her face. "Are you all right?" she asked her expression turning more serious.

"I'm fine," Ianto replied still surprised by the girl's actions.

"Good," she replied. "I'll leave you in peace then." She gave the blonde boy a long, assessing look before heading over to retrieve the chair from Andrew's back.

Ianto watched her go, for a moment completely forgetting about the young man who'd come to his aid as well as how angry he'd been at Andrew for what he said about Jack. The blonde's voice drew him back to reality very quickly however when he asked. "Is she a friend of yours?"

"No, not really; although apparently she's trying to be." He shook his head pushing thoughts of Lisa away before turning his attention to the other boy. "That's neither here nor there though. Hi, how are you? I'm Ianto Jones," he introduced himself with a friendly smile holding out his hand.

"Declan Matthews it's nice to meet you, and I'm fine how are you?" he returned the question shaking Ianto's hand and giving him a dazzling smile of his own. "I'm sorry if I was intruding but I saw that you were having issues with good old saint Mason over here and figured you might need a little saving. I was going to just say something to get his attention away from you but when you brought up people getting the wrong idea about him I just had to go with it," he finished with a gleeful smile.

"Oh no, it's fine," Ianto replied, "Believe me I didn't mind your appearance in our conversation, it kept any punches from flying and seeing the bastard humiliated was more than a little enjoyable. I take it you've had run-ins with him in the past?" Ianto asked.

"More than I'd like to remember," Declan replied. "My ex and I used to be on the receiving end of his torment quite regularly. I'm sad to say it eventually got the better of my friends who all stopped talking to me and Josh who ended things between us," Declan finished sadly.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Ianto said quietly, "that must have been hard for you."

Declan gave him a sad look, "Thanks, it was. Of course these things happen sometimes, obviously Josh and I just weren't meant to be," he finished and Ianto saw him shake the feeling away before giving Ianto an obviously forced smile. "Anyway, I'm sure you don't want to hear about that. I'm glad you're okay, I guess I'll leave you to it," Declan said turning to walk away.

"You can sit down and join me if you like," Ianto offered feeling sad for the other boy, "most of my friends have events they're in but they come back to say hi in between and the others will be back soon. They're nice people, you should meet them."

"Really? You don't mind?" Declan asked hopefully.

"No, of course not, you can keep me company until the others get back," Ianto replied with a smile.

Declan smiled back and moved to sit down beside him. "So which events are your friends in?" he asked.

XX

Morghan watched the scene unfold at the group's area. She'd seen Andrew approach the blanket and had been on her way back to help Ianto when the blonde boy had turned up. She'd watched him appraise the situation before jumping behind Andrew and drawing his attention away from Ianto. She'd seen Andrew backing away and watched at Lisa placed the chair right in his path before circling back around behind Ianto to watch the outcome. She watched as the pair spoke and the way the blonde went to go only to be stopped by Ianto who must have invited him to sit down since he was now perched beside the Welshman. Who was he? Morghan would have to find out.

She saw Lisa approaching her direction and as much as she wanted nothing to do with the other girl Ianto had told them all about her desire to make amends for what she'd done and be friends. She had just helped Ianto so maybe it was true and Morghan wanted to ask for herself.

She changed direction so her path would cross with Lisa's and she saw the moment the other girl noticed this and stopped; a wary look in her eyes. "I don't want to fight," the American girl said as Morghan approached.

"Nor do I," Morghan replied stopping in front of her. "I saw what you just did there and I was curious about why you did it?"

"I just…wanted to help," Lisa replied.

"Why?" Morghan asked.

"Because I like Ianto and I want to be his friend," Lisa replied and the look in her eyes told Morghan that she meant it.

"Okay," was all Morghan said on the matter and moved to walk past the other girl.

"Wait," Lisa said grabbing her arm lightly and halting her exit. Morghan gave her a warning glare and Lisa immediately let her go. "I'm sorry it's just…that boy, over there with Ianto."

"What about him?" Morghan asked.

"Something about him feels…wrong," Lisa replied.

"Wrong?" Morghan asked curiously.

"Wrong," Lisa affirmed. "I'm sorry I can't explain it any better than that he just feels…wrong. I don't know, maybe it's my imagination but…just watch out for Ianto, okay, that other boy doesn't feel right."

Lisa's eyes were so imploring Morghan couldn't help but agree. "All right," she replied and Lisa thanked her quietly before heading away. Morghan watched her go for a moment surprised by the other girl's actions. She didn't know why Lisa suddenly cared about Ianto but Morghan would definitely keep an eye on him. When people felt wrong there was usually a reason for it.

Turning her attention back to Ianto she continued on her way over to the pair watching their interaction for any sign that something might be wrong about the other boy. There was nothing on the outside, but was it Morghan's imagination or did the blonde look like he was inching closer to Ianto as he spoke?

She'd almost reached the pair when Jack's voice calling Ianto's name drew her attention to the Canadian who was jogging toward the Welsh boy with a happy smile on his face. Ianto returned his smile and stood to greet his boyfriend with a hug and a tender kiss. Jack slipped his arms around Ianto and held him close as he kissed back. Morghan was enjoying the sweet moment between the two boys until she turned her attention to Ianto's new friend and saw the glare the blonde was giving Jack. He must have noticed Morghan approaching just moments later because he schooled his expression and looked over at her with what she figured was supposed to be a friendly smile.

"Oh hi, you must be one of Ianto's friends, I'm Declan," he introduced himself standing up and holding out his hand.

Morghan just looked at him; did he honestly think she hadn't noticed? Before she could say anything in response she was jumped on and hugged from behind by Ray and Elena.

"Morghan we won, we won!" Ray announced excitedly and Morghan turned around to hug the pair back.

"That's amazing, congratulations," she replied giving them a true smile even though she wanted nothing more than to be glaring at Declan.

The rest of the group arrived at their area shortly having also finished their events and Ianto started introducing Declan to the group. He had that fake smile firmly in place through every introduction but Morghan wasn't fooled, even if she hadn't seen the glare he'd given Jack Lisa had been right; he felt wrong. Once the introductions were over the group sat down to lunch together chatting away happily to Declan and answering questions about themselves when he asked.

About halfway through her roll Morghan felt Elena slip an arm around her and whisper, "What's wrong?" She felt Ray's arm slip through hers on the other side and she looked from side to side noticing that she had her best friend's and her girlfriend's attention. "I'll tell you when lunch is over," she replied, "I don't really want to talk about it here."

The pair nodded but kept her in their hold obviously concerned about her which made Morghan smile just a little. As soon as they were finished their lunch Morghan grabbed the pair and pulled them away from the group to explain what was going on.

XX

Ianto had a lovely afternoon talking to Declan; he'd always enjoyed getting to know new people. He'd noticed a few of the girls seemed a bit uncomfortable around the blonde and Declan had mentioned that he didn't think Morghan liked him but Ianto wasn't worried, he was new to the group they probably just had to get used to him. At the moment Jack and Seeley were out on the oval playing a good natured game of soccer with several boys from the other schools as an ending to the day and something to do while the scores were being tallied. Ianto was watching Jack move around the oval and listening to Declan talk about his family at the same time.

Apparently he was the youngest of three boys and his parents lived locally, they'd sent him to the Christian school in the hopes of turning him straight- assholes-. His older brothers were both in college the eldest one already engaged to his college girlfriend which Declan thought was too young but Ianto didn't comment. If he and Jack were engaged right now it wouldn't be too early for him, not that he'd ever let that be known to other people.

Ianto felt his stomach knot as he thought about how little time they really had left.

He didn't want to spoil the day so he pushed it from his mind, smiling despite himself as he saw Jack and Seeley score a goal for their team and high five enthusiastically.

The pair parted and Ianto watched Jack run back down the other end of the oval. He was so perfect it was almost blinding especially when he looked up at Ianto and smiled that gorgeous, loving smile. A voice calling out to Jack drew the Canadian's attention away and Ianto was about to look for who had called when a soccer ball flew across the oval and hit Jack in the side of the face.

Ianto leapt up and ran over to his love who was holding his head and stumbling slightly from the blow. Ianto reached Jack at the same time as Seeley; the rest of the group not far behind having seen what happened and run from wherever they were. Ianto grabbed Jack to steady him and the Canadian leant into him moving one hand so he could rest the uninjured side of his face against Ianto's shoulder.

"Jack, are you okay?" Ianto asked worriedly

Jack's only response was to moan quietly and he buried his eyes in Ianto's neck wrapping his free arm around Ianto's waist and holding himself as close as he could.

An icepack appeared out of nowhere and Ianto gently prodded Jack to move his hand so he could press it against the injury.

"That's what dirty, rotten pansies deserve!"

Ianto turned to see Andrew and his friends standing a few metres away laughing at Jack's pain. Anger ripped through Ianto's veins but before he could say anything in reply the group of girls from the public school who'd passed Ianto that morning strode up to Andrew and his friends flanked by an even bigger group of boys.

"Hey asshole!" the girl who'd spoken to Ianto that morning called out.

"What do you want, whore?" Andrew snapped back.

"This is a day for friendly competition, you and your kind are not welcome here so shove off back to your school and crawl back under your rock you slimy, narrow minded, pricks!" the girl snapped.

"How dare you speak to me like that you filthy, heathen, bitch!" Andrew snarled.

"I hate to break it to you asshole but you are more than a little outnumbered here," the girl replied. "If I were you I'd run away now while you still have all your limbs."

Andrew looked around then and Ianto did the same surprised to find a large number of students, from all three schools, congregated around their group and watching Andrew and his lot with angry, suspicious glares. Ianto looked back at Andrew and his lot in time to see them pale as they apparently realized just how much of a disadvantage they were at.

"You're not welcome here, any of you, get the hell out of our school and go back to where you came from!" Ray snarled moving to stand beside the girl from the public school, Morghan and Elena right beside her.

Andrew glared at the group of girls but Ianto could see that it was a front, the boy was wary now and rightly so in Ianto's opinion. Andrew opened his mouth to say something, but obviously thought better of it as he closed it again and walked away; heading toward the oval's back gate with his group of assholes in tow.

Ianto watched him go for a few moments before turning his attention back to Jack. The Canadian's face was still pressed into Ianto's neck, his hand holding the ice pack over the injured side. Ianto stroked his hair gently and held him tightly to his side as the school nurse, having finally heard what had happened, ran up to the group to get a look at the injured boy.

She managed to pry Jack's hand away from his face and took a quick look before directing Ianto to get Jack into the shade and sit him down so she could get a better look. Seeley wrapped an arm around Jack's free side and together they got Jack under one of the marquis that had been set up for the day and sat him down. The nurse managed to coax him away from Ianto's shoulder long enough to do a proper assessment before determining that there was no serious harm done. Jack would have a nasty headache and some bruising but there was no concussion. She then directed the others to take him back to his room so he could rest and this time Owen and Seeley grabbed Jack, Owen reminding Ianto that he was still recovering and shouldn't be supporting anyone else's weight.

They headed back to their dorm and Ianto followed closely behind his hand never leaving Jack's back so the other boy would still know he was there. They hadn't gotten far when Declan approached Ianto and asked if Jack was okay.

"He's okay but he needs to lie down, we're taking him back to the dorm to rest," Ianto replied not pausing to answer which meant Declan needed to walk to keep up with them.

"Are you going to come back down?" the blonde asked.

"No, I'm going to stay with Jack," Ianto replied.

Declan looked disappointed. "Oh, okay." He said quietly. "Well, any chance I could see you again, you know, outside of school?" the blonde boy asked.

Ianto really didn't want to stop but he felt so sorry for the other boy and he didn't want Declan to think he didn't like him or anything of the sort. "Do you have a pen?" Into asked.

Declan nodded and pulled a biro out of his pocket.

Ianto gave the other boy his email address and told him to message when he wanted to do something. Declan wrote it on his arm and gave Ianto a bright, happy smile. "Thank you, I'll do that. I hope Jack feels better," he said before giving Ianto a wave and heading back to the group's area. Ianto waved back and continued on his way to the dorm behind Jack, Owen and Seeley.

XX

Morghan watched Declan approach the group's area and couldn't help the smug feeling of satisfaction that filled her as she saw the disappointed and slightly annoyed expression on his face. The rest of the group weren't paying attention but Morghan was and she knew exactly what was wrong with the blonde boy. His expression changed to a pleasant smile as he reached the group's area and told them all he was heading over to find the rest of his house so he was with them when they heard the scores for the day.

The group bid him a friendly farewell and he told them he was looking forward to seeing them all again soon. He headed away then and Morghan, deciding she had to say something to him before he caused any trouble for Jack and Ianto, jumped up and jogged to catch up with him. As soon as she was close enough for him to hear her without her raising her voice she spoke.

"So, I guess that must have been disappointing for you."

Declan stopped and turned around to face her, a curious, innocent expression on his face that she didn't buy for a moment. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"Well, watching Ianto fawn over Jack, having him just wander off on you like you were nothing to tend to his injured boyfriend when you were so close to trying it on with him; I'm sure that must have stung more than a little," Morghan explained a venomously sweet smile on her face.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Declan replied innocently and Morghan shook her head.

"Oh, yeah you do. Don't play innocent with me I know what's going on. You like Ianto; I saw it while you were talking to him before. I also saw the glare you gave Jack when he came over here and interrupted your little attempted conquest, you covered it up as soon as you noticed I was there but I saw it, so don't bother pretending that's not what's going on," Morghan said with a glare.

Declan looked torn between wanting to tell her to bugger off and continuing to feign innocence- Morghan would have been lying if she said it didn't please her-.

"Hit the nail on the head didn't I?" she asked sweetly. "Do yourself a favour; keep your grubby little hands away from Ianto. He's madly in love with Jack and you don't have even the tiniest chance of stealing him away. You even think about trying and, well, you're obviously a good actor, but I guarantee you I'm better and I will make Ianto and every member of our group hate you inside of a minute, I promise you." Morghan threatened quietly.

"And how exactly would you do that?" Declan asked obviously deciding there was no point feigning innocence anymore.

Morghan gave him a small smile before putting on the sad face she'd perfected during her drama lessons and saying. "But why, Declan, why would you say that about me? I'm not ugly am I, do you really think that?" she asked using another talent she'd learnt in drama to bring tears to her eyes. She sniffled a few times and said, "I thought you could be our friend, I thought you were different to other people, Declan."

Declan looked back at her horrified for a moment before snapping, "Okay, okay you've made your point, now stop it," as quietly as he could glancing around himself to make sure no one else had seen it.

Morghan immediately changed her expression to a smug smile wiping the fake tears from her face with the back of her hand. "I trust I've made my point," she said simply. "You stay away from my friends or you'll wish you had. Now get away from me and don't come back you slimy, two-faced, prick."

Declan gave her an angry glare before turning and stomping away toward the area the rest of his school had congregated in.

"Yeah, good riddance to bad rubbish," Morghan snarled softly as Elena and Ray came up to stand on either side of her.

"Problem sorted?" Ray asked.

"For now," Morghan replied. "Somehow I get the feeling this isn't the last we'll see of our blonde friend. We'll have to keep an eye on Ianto."

The other two nodded and continued to watch as Declan returned to his school area.

XX

Ianto asked Seeley and Owen to help Jack to his room and help him lie down. As soon as they had him sorted they headed out leaving Jack and Ianto alone. Ianto crawled across the bed and over to where Jack was lying with the ice pack still held against his face. His love opened his blue/grey eyes and looked over at Ianto as he settled beside him.

"How's your head?" Ianto asked softly.

"Hurts," Jack replied simply and Ianto gave him a sympathetic smile.

"Do you want something for it? I have Panafen," Ianto offered.

"Cuddle?" Jack asked quietly after a moments consideration and Ianto chuckled slightly holding out his arms. Jack scooted over and cuddled into Ianto's side resting his uninjured cheek on Ianto's shoulder and nuzzling into his neck. Ianto felt a surge of lust as Jack unknowingly found one of the most sensitive parts of his body but immediately squashed it down, now wasn't the time for anything like that.

He must have tensed slightly without him realizing because Jack pulled back slightly and asked, "Is this bothering you?" in a worried tone.

Ianto smiled and shook his head, "No, bothering me isn't the expression I'd use," he replied.

Jack gave him a quizzical look and Ianto knew he had to explain his cryptic response. "Sensitive spot, Jack, that's all, it's okay."

"Oh, should I move?" Jack asked moving to sit up.

"No," Ianto replied placing a gentle hand on his head to stop his escape. He repositioned Jack where he'd been and kissed his crazy, gorgeous hair. "It's fine, I like you there."

It was the truth, having Jack cuddled up to him rather than the other way around for once was really nice and the little thrill of desire he felt every time Jack's breath tickled his neck was a lovely change to the fear he'd always felt when it came to anything sexual in the past thanks to Justin.

Jack didn't say anything else. He snuggled comfortably into Ianto's side and slipped his free hand under Ianto to wrap around his waist and pull himself closer. They lay comfortably for a while before Jack's fingers started softly stroking Ianto's side bringing another surge of lust that Ianto tried to push away but to his surprise found he really didn't want to. He had to though, now really wasn't a good time to be feeling like this.

"Jack," he said his love's name quietly. "Now's probably not the best time for you to be doing that."

The stroking immediately stopped and Jack apologised quietly, "I didn't even realise I was doing it, sorry," he explained sheepishly. "Are you okay?" he asked, "Have I scared you? Do you want me to go?"

"No," Ianto replied immediately, "It wasn't bad, Jack, I liked it, a bit too much actually," he confessed feeling himself blush just a little.

"Oh," Jack replied clearly understanding what Ianto meant. "Okay, I'll remember that for later," he finished pressing a kiss to Ianto's neck that made him gasp quietly before settling down once more.

Ianto pulled Jack closer wishing more than ever that Justin had never existed while at the same time cursing Andrew Mason for kicking that soccer ball at the Canadian. He would have loved to ask Jack to keep going, to stroke a little higher, then maybe a little lower. To touch him all over and make his entire body tingle like his side had while Jack was stroking it.

Of course he couldn't, not just because of Jack's injury but also because of Justin and Ianto's own fear of sex. As much as he wanted to take that step he couldn't just jump into it like that he needed to take it slowly, do things one step at a time.

Besides, if Jack had started stroking higher he would have stumbled across something he probably wasn't expecting to find and that would have ruined the moment entirely. Ianto hadn't thought about how the damage to his back would affect things when he was finally ready to take things further with Jack but it was something he really needed to start thinking about if these feelings of desire were going to increase. He couldn't just let Jack stumble across them he was going to have to explain and let Jack see them before anything else happened between them. It was going to be hard but it had to be done.

Decided Ianto snuggled into Jack and buried his face in the Canadian's hair silently pondering how he was going to broach the subject with Jack. He'd have to get over his fear of taking his clothes off in front of other people so he could show his love, but once he got past that hurdle he had no doubt things would get easier, they certainly couldn't get any harder that was for sure. It was going to be difficult for him, but he knew in the end it would be worth it because the more he thought about the end of the year and what it would ultimately mean for him the more he wanted to get past his inhibitions and give himself completely to the boy he loved before they were separated forever.

XX

end of chapter

there we go everyone what did we think? Review replies will be in the next chapter since I'm trying to post this in a hurry but thank you so much for everyone who reviewed you have no idea how much they mean to me XXOO. Please review everyone I really want to know if you're still enjoying the story or if you think I've lost my marbles and are ruining it?

Kisses and hugs, love you all

Kayla


	22. Nuisances

**Hello all you wonderful people I'm back with a new chapter for you all. I know, I know it's been far too bloody long! I apologise profusely for the wait, but life just keeps getting in the damn way! Do you know how tiring 12 hour shifts are and how little life you have when you work them full time? Anyway I will do my best not to leave you waiting so long for the next chapter which is already half written. **

**For now however please enjoy this new chapter and PLEASE REVIEW! I know it's been a long time since I updated but I need the reviews, they're like my addiction and they make me want to write more! I was very surprised as of late to see how many new reviews have shown up while waiting for the new chapter, thank you guys, and as always a kisses and hugs to those of you who always review, you all mean so much to me and I cherish your words more than is probably healthy LOL.**

**Big thanks as always go to my lovely Beta Socalrose, she'd been a bit under the weather lately and it was very good of her to check this over for me while she wasn't well. Thank you sweetheart, love you lots XXOO**

**Nuisances **

"Guess what, guess what?" Jack all but sang, jumping on the spot like an excited child.

"I don't know, Jack, what?" Ianto looked up from the book he was reading and smiled at his boyfriend indulgently.

"John's coming to visit," Jack replied excitedly.

"Really? When?" Ianto asked, thrilled to see his love so happy.

"Next holidays," Jack replied pausing in his jumping to sit down next to Ianto and take his hands. "We're organising a stay in this gorgeous, little house up here in the mountains and you have to come with us, please, I know I got to choose where we went last holidays too, but I really want you to meet him, and I promise, next holidays you can decide-"

Ianto cut the other boy off with a thorough kiss slipping his fingers into Jack's hair and holding him close. When he pulled back he was met with a stunned but happy expression on his love's face.

"I would love to come with you, Jack," he told the Canadian with a loving smile. "And you should know by now that I don't care where we go for the holidays as long as we're together."

Jack returned his smile, "I love you, Ianto Jones," he said softly leaning forward for another kiss. They pulled back after a few moments and gazed at each other happily.

"So where is this house we're going to be staying in?" Ianto asked

"It's actually not far from here," Jack started to explain. "There's a-"

"Morghan are you okay?"

Martha's question drew their attention to the other end of the library where Morghan was entering, her face a blank mask while her eyes were filled with pain.

The Australian girl shook her head, "No, um, have you guys seen Ray anywhere?" she asked as tears started to shine in her eyes.

"Last I saw she was up a few levels looking for something," Martha replied. "What's wrong?" she asked worriedly.

"Um...I uh...I need to find her," Morghan replied.

Ianto and Jack left their seats and headed over to the girl who looked like she was seconds away from dissolving into sobs.

"Morghan, love, why don't you sit down," Jack suggested gently, slipping his arm around her and leading her toward a chair.

"No I … I have to find Ray," Morghan replied moving to pull away from Jack.

"I'll find Ray for you, sweetheart," Martha reassured her, heading upstairs while Jack and Ianto got the poor girl, who appeared to be in some form of shock, into a chair. She didn't say anything as they sat there beside her, Jack's arm still wrapped around her shoulders and holding her close, offering whatever comfort he could.

Ianto looked over at Jack not really sure what he should do. His love shook his head slightly indicating that he couldn't provide any insight either. They sat there for what felt like forever, just watching the girl who was either in too much shock to cry, or was somehow managing to hold herself together incredibly well. Eventually Ray came rushing in with Martha and flitted to where Morghan was sitting.

"Morghan, honey, what's wrong?" She asked, crouching down in front of her friend's chair and grabbing her hands.

Morghan looked back at the other girl for a moment, the tears slipping from her eyes, "Abby was in an accident," she replied softly. "She and Kevin were driving home from a party and..." She trailed off for a moment as the tears started getting the best of her. "She's going to die, Ray, there's nothing anyone can do. Mina just called and asked us to come to the hospital to say goodbye."

Ray stared at her friend in shock for several seconds before Ianto saw tears beginning to sparkle in the tall girl's eyes. For a moment it looked like she was going to start crying, but she took a deep breath and blinked the tears away moving into a standing position and pulling Morghan with her.

"All right, let's go. Which hospital is she at?" Ray asked the smaller girl.

"The Mater Brisbane," Morghan replied, pulling herself together much like Ray had.

Ray nodded and Ianto saw her take another moment to compose herself before slipping her arm around Morghan and leading her towards the library door. "Thank you, guys," she said to Jack and Ianto with a small, sad smile as they went.

"Thanks," Morghan repeated giving the pair a watery smile of her own.

"That's okay," Ianto replied and slipped his arm around Jack as they watched the pair leave the library. Sadness filled him at the thought of Abby passing away and he was grateful when Jack returned the embrace, one of the Canadian's hands softly stroking his back. He'd only spent a small amount of time with Ray and Morghan's friend during the Easter holidays, but she was one of the loveliest people Ianto had ever met.

"Do you know who Abby is?" Jack asked.

Ianto nodded, "I met her at Easter; she's one of Ray and Morghan's friends from their old school, she was really lovely," he replied sadly.

Jack nodded in acknowledgement and tightened his grip on Ianto. "I can't imagine how hard it must be, to lose someone like that," he said softly. "If I ever lost John I don't know what I'd do. If I ever lost you…well, I don't think I'd want to keep on living," he confessed quietly.

Ianto could hear the truth of that statement in his boyfriend's voice and it made his heart break. When the year was over Jack would lose him and the idea that the Canadian might do something to hurt himself because of it frightened Ianto, a lot. "Don't say that," he scolded trying not to let the fear and pain show in his voice.

"It's true though," Jack replied, "There's nothing in the world that means more to me than you do and I know people will tell me I'm too young to feel like that but too bad, that's the truth of it. If I lost you-"

Ianto cut him off, "Jack, listen to me," he said pulling out of Jack's arms and taking the other boy's face in his hands. "Life is not a sure thing, none of us know what will happen or how things will pan out" –Ianto felt guilty for lying since he was pretty sure he knew exactly how things were going pan out for him, but he was making a point and the words had to be said- "I could die tomorrow for all you know-"

"Don't say that," Jack interrupted him pleadingly.

"But, Cariad it's the truth. Nobody knows when they're going to go, not really, and when I do die one day which we all will, you need to keep on living. You're so young, Jack, you have so much life to live, nobody is worth throwing that away, do you understand me? If anything happens to me I want you to promise that you won't do anything silly, that you'll go on with your life and live it to its fullest. Promise me," Ianto urged his eyes boring straight into Jack's.

Tears were sparkling in Jack's eyes but the expression in them was searching as he asked, "Ianto, why are you talking like you're going to die sometime soon?"

Ianto closed his eyes, knowing that Jack had always been far too good at reading them. "I didn't mean it like that, Jack," he lied. "All I meant was, like I said earlier, we never know when it's going to happen." He opened his eyes as he continued since the rest of his argument wouldn't be a lie. "Do you think Abby expected to die now? Do you think Kevin isn't beside her bed right now thinking about what might have been, that he isn't considering doing exactly what you were talking about just a few minutes ago? But Abby wouldn't have wanted that, and neither would I. The thought of anything happening to you hurts me so much and whether I'm dead or alive that's not going to change, I'm sure of that." Ianto sighed. "I just want to know that no matter what happened to me you're going to be okay, that's all I want, can you do that for me?"

Jack studied him for the longest time and Ianto looked away not wanting Jack to see the fear lurking in the back of his eyes. He didn't get far however as Jack's fingers hooked under his chin and brought Ianto's face back to his. He studied Ianto's eyes for another few moments before saying, "All right, I'll agree on one condition."

"What's that?" Ianto asked.

"That you make the same promise to me," the Canadian demanded.

That wouldn't be hard, as much as Ianto had been the one to say they could die at any moment he was pretty sure nothing was going to seriously harm Jack between now and the end of the year. "All right," he agreed softly.

Jack watched his eyes for another few moments before Ianto saw something that may very well have been understanding flash through the other boy's blue/grey orbs. He didn't say anything however; he simply pulled Ianto into his arms and held him close, kissing his hair softly.

"Jack-" Ianto started to ask what the other boy was thinking about, but Jack cut him off with a gentle "Ssh," and held him tighter, stroking his back soothingly.

Ianto really wanted to know what it was Jack had worked out during that silent moment between them, but now obviously wasn't the best time to ask him. Instead he cuddled into the boy he loved and enjoyed the embrace, knowing he had to cherish these moments between them while he could. After a few moments a thought occurred to him and he pulled back slightly to look around the room they were in.

"What's wrong?" Jack asked.

"Where did Martha go?" Ianto asked, "I didn't see her leave."

"I don't know," Jack replied sounding just as puzzled as Ianto felt.

They looked around the room for another few moments before sharing a confused look and returning to their previous positions. Obviously she'd gone somewhere.

XX

"Morghan, Ray!" The pair turned around at the sound of their names being called to see Martha running toward them with Theodore and Elena close behind. They stopped so their friends could catch up with them and as soon as they were close enough Morghan and Ray found themselves being very thoroughly hugged.

"Martha told us what happened and that you're going to the hospital, we're coming with you," Elena said in a tone that was soothing but broached no argument.

"Are you sure you want to, it's not going to be pretty?" Morghan asked.

"Yeah, we're sure, we want to be there," Theodore replied.

Morghan looked up at Ray once more, the question in her eyes. The look in Ray's told her exactly what she knew they would, Ray wanted Theodore there with her for this just like Morghan wanted Elena, the pair had grown to trust their respective significant other enough to allow them to see the weakness they were about to show.

"All right," Morghan agreed keeping a hold of Ray with one hand and allowing Elena to take the other one. Theodore slipped in on the other side of Ray and Morghan thanked Martha before the four made their way toward the car park.

XX

The funeral for Abby was coming up on the following Friday and Morghan and Ray were staying close to the girl's family while they made the preparations, meaning that neither girl would be in school for the rest of the week. Ianto had every intention of going to the funeral, something he would have wanted to do, even if he hadn't met the lovely girl, just to be there for Morghan and Ray. He was sad though, really sad, mostly for Abby and the family and friends grieving her loss, but also from his conversation with Jack in the library.

It was this sadness that drove Ianto to seek the solitude of a quiet walk the following evening. It was only relatively early and Jack was working on a chemistry project with Seeley, giving Ianto a little while to himself before dinner. Of course, it wasn't easy getting alone time with his group of friends around, something he wasn't complaining about in the least, but he'd managed to slip past the others and headed out toward the lookout he had run to during his panic attack all those months ago. He arrived there in no time and headed over to the edge, leaning on the railing and taking in the beautiful view.

It was important to take the time to enjoy moments like these. After all, one never knew how many more they would have. Tears stung Ianto's eyes and he squeezed them shut willing them away. He'd already spent enough time crying about what was ahead of him, it was time he accepted it and concentrated on enjoying the time he had left. Jack had promised he wouldn't do anything stupid which was what really mattered, and he wouldn't be alone, he'd have John.

Ianto took a deep breath and pushed the tears back, it was a beautiful day and he should focus on enjoying it.

"Ianto?"

Ianto whirled around at the sound of his name and found himself face to face with a smiling Declan.

"Declan," he greeted the boy returning his smile. "It's nice to see you, what have you been up to?" he asked. He hadn't heard from the other boy since the sports carnival and had been beginning to wonder if he hadn't wanted to be friends after all.

"Not a lot, are you all right?" the boy asked, his eyes narrowed in concern.

"Oh." Ianto brushed the tears from his face. "Yeah I'm fine, I, uh, a friend passed away the other day," he explained at least one of the reasons for his sadness.

"Oh, Ianto I'm sorry," Declan said softly moving forward with what Ianto figured was most likely the intention to hug him.

"It's okay," Ianto replied taking a step back and holding up his hands to keep the other boy away. "I'll be fine, thank you for your concern," he said giving the other boy a reassuring smile when he stopped advancing, a surprised and slightly hurt expression in his eyes.

"Are you sure?" the blonde asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine, thanks," Ianto replied thankful that Declan seemed to have given up on the hugging idea.

"It wasn't anyone I know was it?" Declan asked.

Ianto shook his head, "No, it was a friend of Morghan and Ray's," Ianto replied. "I spent a bit of time with her last holidays, she was really lovely."

"What happened?" the blonde asked.

"Car accident," Ianto replied softly.

Declan just nodded and the pair fell into silence for a few moments.

"Did Morghan get to say goodbye?" Declan asked breaking the quiet.

Ianto nodded, "Yeah, she's there with her friends and the girl's family at the moment, she's going to stay until the funeral to help them," he replied.

"That's nice of her, when's the funeral?" the blonde asked.

"Friday," Ianto told him looking down at his hands.

"Is she going to come back to school right after?" Declan asked.

"Maybe, she hasn't said," Ianto replied quietly.

The fell into silence once more and Ianto was just about to change the subject when Declan spoke. "What are you doing out here by yourself? Where's Jack? I thought he'd be with you, particularly if you're so upset," he asked, surprise and disapproval in his tone.

"He's back at the school. He and Seeley have a science project to work on together this afternoon," Ianto explained in a tone that he hoped conveyed to the other boy that while he appreciated his concern he wouldn't allow him to judge Jack in any way.

"Ah, okay, I thought it was a bit weird, but that makes sense I guess," Declan replied with a nod indicating that he'd understood Ianto's message.

They fell into silence again and Ianto, wanting to change the subject asked, "So, I was surprised that I didn't hear from you after the sports carnival, have you been busy?"

For a moment what looked like annoyance flickered across the blonde's features, but it was gone as quickly as it had come, "Yeah, sorry, I had so much to do these last few weeks, I didn't mean to snob you."

Ianto nodded, understanding. "That's okay. Trust me; I know how it feels to be busy. I love this exchange, but there's a lot of work involved, I've barely had a moment to breathe these last couple of weeks. Still, I wouldn't trade it for anything, I've made so many amazing friends and Jack…" he trailed off smiling as he thought about his picturesque boyfriend. "No, I wouldn't change anything," he finished his smile widening until he noticed the unhappy look on Declan's face. Taking it for sadness Ianto apologised quietly, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't rub my relationship in your face after you've lost someone yourself."

Declan just nodded looking down at the ground, but not before Ianto saw the look of sadness on his face, "It's okay, I know you didn't mean it," he said softly.

Ianto immediately felt guilty for not thinking before he spoke and moved closer to the other boy, "Declan-"

"Ianto, there you are, I've been looking for you." Jack's voice interrupted him and he turned to see the Canadian walking out onto the lookout.

"Jack, I'm sorry I just came out for a walk," Ianto replied moving over to greet his boyfriend with a hug.

"With Declan?" Jack asked, looking over at the blonde boy with a surprisingly hostile expression.

"No, I was out here and we ran into each other," Ianto replied thinking Jack was jealous that Ianto was out at this lookout, where their relationship had started, with someone else. The hostile expression didn't leave Jack's face at the explanation however and Ianto looked back at Declan to see him watching Jack nervously, a hint of the earlier sadness still in his eyes.

"Jack, is everything all right?" Ianto asked his boyfriend worriedly.

"Everything's fine," Jack replied turning his attention to Ianto once more and giving him a reassuring smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Are you ready to head back or shall I walk with you for a while?" he asked.

Ianto didn't know what had gotten into Jack, but since his solitude had already been disturbed and Ianto was really worried about the Canadian he nodded. "I'm ready to go back."

Jack nodded and slipped his hand into Ianto's. "See you around, Declan," the Canadian said in a tone that was perfectly polite while also being exceptionally cold.

Ianto cast concerned eyes at the blonde before saying, "I'll see you later, Declan," and giving the boy an apologetic smile. That was exceptionally rude of the Canadian and he and Jack were going to talk about this, just not in front of someone else.

XX

Jack walked along with Ianto's hand held firmly in his, his mind wandering back to the email he'd received from Morghan that afternoon.

_Jack,_

_I'm sorry I didn't get to talk to you about this before I left, I honestly didn't even think about it with everything that was happening. The other day at the sport carnival, that boy Ianto met, Declan, you remember him? He's bad news, Jack. I don't know what's going on with him or what his game is, but he's after Ianto. I didn't want to trouble you with this and I wasn't going to because I already warned him away, but since I'm not going to be at school for a while I thought I should warn you. I don't know if he'll try to contact Ianto at all after the little conversation we had, but keep an eye out for him._

_I hope you guys are good, give Ianto a hug for me and take care._

_Morghan._

Jack had wondered if maybe Morghan was being paranoid, after all they'd only just met Declan; how much could they really know about him? Then, when he'd heard from one of the others that Ianto had headed out of the school grounds alone; Jack had gone looking for him and run into a young man from the public school. He was about their age and quite handsome with light brown hair, sparkling green eyes and a very impressive physique. Had Jack not been with Ianto and still playing around like he had been in Canada, he would have propositioned the boy. Since he was no longer interested in such things he had intended to keep walking, only to pause when the boy spoke to him.

"_Um, hi, you're the boy from the exchange school aren't you? The one who got decked by the soccer ball on sports day?" he asked._

_Jack felt himself blush slightly, but he forced a smile and nodded, "That's me; is there something you wanted, because I'm looking for my boyfriend?" he asked wanting to get away from this conversation as it was reminding him far too much of that particular moment of shame._

"_I'm sorry, I didn't mean to embarrass you, it's just that, well, forgive my bluntness but you're with that other boy, right? The one that Andrew was bothering and that Declan was talking to?" the other guy asked._

"_I am. What of it?" Jack asked, wondering where this was going and if he had another opinionated bigot on his hands._

"_Please don't misunderstand," the boy said, "I didn't come over here to judge you or tease you about him or anything, I came over here to warn you."_

"_Warn me? About what?" Jack asked._

"_Declan," the boy replied. "He's not the person he makes himself out to be. He befriends young, gay men, finds ways to turn them against their friends and vice versa until there's no one left in their lives but him. Then, he uses that isolation to get them to do whatever he wants since he's all they have by that point and they don't want to lose him. He uses them until he grows tired of them, then dumps them and moves on to the next person with a sob story about how his mean ex left him."_

"_How do you know this?" Jack asked._

"_I'm Josh, I'm the last person he did it to," the young man replied._

_Josh, Jack remembered hearing his name from Ianto, he was the one Declan had said left him when Andrew turned their friends against them. "He mentioned you," Jack said. "He said you used to date and you split up because of Andrew Mason turning all your friends against you."_

_Josh shook his head. "He's lying to you," he replied. "He did the same to me and my friends. He made us feel sorry for him, then as soon as he had us all roped he started turning all of my friends against me until he was all I had." Josh looked down sadly. "I'm still trying to undo all the damage he's done to my relationships," he said quietly._

"_How do I know you're not lying?" Jack asked._

"_You don't," Josh replied looking up once more. "But honestly, what reason do I have to lie to you?" he asked._

"_You could be trying to keep your ex from making new friends," Jack suggested. "Some people are like that."_

"_You're right, I could be, but I'm not. You don't have to believe me, but I know he's zoned in on your boyfriend and I don't want to see what happened to me happen to someone else. If I were you I'd keep an eye on your man. Whether you believe me or not it doesn't hurt to be careful does it?" Josh asked._

_Jack wasn't sure what to say, but it turned out he didn't need to say anything because Josh simply gave him a nod and turned to walk away. Jack was about to resume his search for Ianto when the brunette turned back to look at him once more. "Oh, by the way, the evil ex he told my friends and me about was Andrew Mason. I just thought you'd like to know."_

He'd headed away after that and Jack had resumed his search for Ianto wondering if Josh really was telling the truth. If he was it would make sense. A lot of people thought like Andrew did, that homosexuality was something they could cure themselves of if they turned to religion and/or denied that they had any of those feelings inside them. Those people were usually the most outspoken and hateful toward homosexual couples because of that and Andrew certainly fit that bill. If Declan had hurt him like that it would have given him a very good reason to try and "cure" himself of his sexuality, it also explained why Declan's appearance during the sports day, while Andrew was bothering Ianto, had gotten rid of the bigot so fast. Andrew didn't want to see Declan and be reminded of what had happened between them.

That coupled with Morghan's warning was enough to convince Jack that something wasn't right about Declan and when he'd arrived at the lookout and seen the look on Declan's face after Ianto had been talking about Jack, he was convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt. Knowing the other boy was playing on Ianto's kindness had pissed Jack right off and he hadn't been able to hide his anger at the blonde boy when he'd gone down to get Ianto away from him.

Now they were walking back to the school and Ianto hadn't said a word to him about the exchange. Jack knew that didn't bode well for him and Ianto was more than likely going to get very cranky at him as soon as they were alone. Right now however, he was just happy that he'd gotten his Welshman away from the blonde and his evil schemes, at least for the time being. He knew he should say something to explain his actions as they would be going into dinner with everyone else before they had a chance to be alone and talk about this and he didn't want Ianto to be upset with him all the way through their meal.

He stopped walking with they reached the gate and pulled Ianto into his arms. He could tell Ianto didn't want to, but he melted against Jack just as Jack knew he would. Ianto could never resist a hug from Jack, something Jack had worked out very early in their relationship and put down to the fact that he'd never really felt comfortable allowing anyone to touch him before now. While that saddened Jack a great deal, it also gave him a way to ensure he could get Ianto's attention when he needed it, something very useful for situations like this one.

"Please, listen to me. I know you're angry at me right now and I understand, I really do, but I promise I have a very good reason for reacting like I did, and as soon as we're back in our room tonight I swear, I'll explain. Please don't stay angry at me, I don't want to sit through dinner with you mad, neither of us will eat anything and I'm sure you're starving, I know I am," he asked with a pleading edge to his voice, hoping Ianto would listen to him.

That was another thing he'd worked out about Ianto; when he was mad or upset he didn't eat, regardless of how hungry he was, and as long as Jack knew Ianto was upset he couldn't eat either, his throat just refused to swallow anything. He really hoped Ianto would accept what he was saying, he really didn't like it when the Welshman skipped meals; it wasn't good for him.

Ianto sighed and Jack felt him relax further into the embrace. "All right," the Welshman agreed quietly. "But I'm going to hold you to that. As soon as we're back in our room I want an explanation," he demanded.

Jack nodded, "I know, and you'll get one, I promise," he replied, breathing a mental sigh of relief that his boyfriend had agreed.

"Okay," Ianto agreed and pulled himself closer to Jack's body.

Jack smiled. He loved the way Ianto cuddled into him, it made him feel like the most important, wonderful person on the planet. He tightened his grip on the Welshman and kissed the top of his head.

"I love you," he said softly.

"I love you too," Ianto replied and Jack felt the Welshman's lips brush against the skin of his throat.

Jack would do whatever was necessary to protect the boy he loved, regardless of the means or the cost. He just hoped when he told Ianto about Declan, his love would believe him. Looking down at Ianto Jack remembered that Declan wasn't the only thing Ianto needed protection from. Right now however, he was the one Jack would focus on. He could worry about the other bastard when this current nuisance was out of the way.

XX

End of chapter.

So what did we think? As I said above PLEASE REVIEW! I need to know if you're all still interested in the story after the big breaks I keep having? And now without further ado, here are some replies for the lovely people among you who reviewed the last chapter.

**Janto4eva: Thank you so much, I'm really glad you're enjoying the story and I hope you enjoy the update. I appreciate you taking the time to review.**

**DashingHero: Thank you so much for the review, please enjoy the new chapter.**

**CanadianGirl: I'm very glad you approve J**

**JelloStix: No hiding things never ends well for relationships but people do it anyway. Thank you for the review I'm glad you're enjoying the story.**

**Mickanella: I'm glad you're enjoying the crossover, I hope you enjoy the new chapter.**

**Knocking4timesforyaoi: Thank you so much I'm glad you're liking my pairings, I love them so much myself.**

**Angela: Don't worry Justin will get his eventually. Thanks heaps for taking the time to review, I'm really glad to hear you like my story J**

**A Vintage Kiss: I hope you continued to enjoy reading the rest of the chapters and I hope you enjoy the new one. As for feeling faint, well, who wouldn't around these three J**

**J3diM0nk3ysp0ck: Yes evil Declan, there will be more of him forthcoming to reveal his true evilness and what is to be done with him. Thank you for your continued support and reviews, I really love them J**

**Katwinchester: You know, I don't know if you realize how much seeing your reviews pop up after every chapter I post makes me happy, but it really does J. They're always detailed and tell me exactly what you like about the chapter which is exactly what I love about reviews. Thank you so much for them and your continued support, it really makes me smile. I hope you enjoy the new chapter.**

**Black59: Thank you once again for your lovely review, I'm always glad to see your name pop up in my emails with a review. I hope you enjoy the new chapter.**

**Ciocia: Yes Declan is an evil snake and you'll soon see what will become of him. I won't reveal what's going to happen at the end of the story, but I am a diehard Janto fan if that gives you any hints J. Thank you for your continued support and lovely reviews, I always enjoy reading them.**

**Twilightluva786: Thank you, I hope you enjoy the new chapter.**

** : Are you still thinking I was too hard on Declan? Yes there are worse crimes than liking someone that is true, but the main concern of the girls was trying to stop any more problems entering Jack and Ianto's lives and interfering in their happiness, they're like overprotective big sisters. I hope you enjoy the new chapter J thank you for continuing to review.**

**Angel-eyes56: I'm glad you enjoyed Ianto being all big and brave and I loved writing the cuddle scene at the end too, the image of it in my mind was so adorable I just wanted to melt. Yes, Lisa's really on the redemption path and she will continue to make appearances, who says people can't change? Now we see Declan's true colours, are they what you expected? Thank you so very much for continuing to review, you know it makes me very happy XXOO**

**Badly-knited: Yes Andrew was terribly nasty, did this chapter explain that a little for you? Yes the twisted stalker type is just another nuisance for poor Ianto to deal with but at least he has friends and a very sexy boyfriend to help take care of him J. Thank you for your lovely reviews, I hope you enjoy the new chapter.**

**Myriadmiracle: You're very welcome. I'm glad to be back, sorry for the long wait on this one too but I hope you enjoy it. What did you think of Declan's continued role in the story, is it what you expected? Justin's ugly head will be reared in a truly Justin way, sadly I can't tell you how just yet. Thank you for your lovely reviews J**

**Tokiyoshi: Yes Jack's Canadian J I hope you enjoyed reading the rest of the story and equally that you enjoy this new chapter. Thanks for the lovely review.**


	23. One Step Forward

Hello everyone, I'm back with another chapter. Sorry for the wait, I've been on holidays and not long returned to real life. As luck would have it however I've contracted a gastro bug and therefore can't be at work right now. This sucks royally for me but is great for you as it means I had time to look over this one last time before I submitted it. This is the longest chapter I've written so far I think and I hope you enjoy it. Of course I am very eager to hear what you think so

***PLEASE REVIEW****

I will post replies at the bottom of the chapter as always. Anyway here we go. Big thanks to Socalrose for being my fabulous beta as always and I don't own Torchwood, Bones, The Gold Coast Hinterland or Australia in general, a terrible shame believe me.

**One step forward…**

Ianto just stared at Jack in surprise. "What?" he asked disbelievingly. Jack cringed, it was after dinner now and the pair had returned to Jack's room so he could explain his discoveries about Declan to Ianto. The boy in question was currently looking at Jack like he had a screw loose and Jack couldn't tell if what was behind that expression was just disbelief or if there was also anger.

"I'm sorry, Ianto, I just don't think Declan's the person you think he is," Jack replied hoping more than anything that he could convince his love of what he was saying.

Ianto shook his head. "Jack, how do you know that guy wasn't lying?" Ianto asked.

"I don't," Jack replied. "But what about Morghan? What reason would she have to lie?" Jack asked.

"I never said she was lying, maybe she just misunderstood his intentions somehow," Ianto argued.

"When I first read her email I thought maybe that was the case too, but then that guy came up to me and I wasn't so sure, Ianto. What if they are right? What if he is trying to use you?" Jack asked worriedly.

"I don't think he would Jack," Ianto replied.

"Why not?" Jack asked wondering about the other boy's reasoning.

"Well, if he was going to try it on with someone why me?" Ianto asked. "I mean you're definitely the better catch of the pair of us; why wouldn't he chase after you?" He asked.

"First of all, you already know what I think of you talking about yourself that way," Jack argued feeling more than a little annoyed at Ianto for that particular argument. "Secondly, he came across Andrew picking on you and had the chance to come to your aid; maybe he decided right then and there to hone in on you, and thirdly you're the shy, quiet kind. I am not, so he probably thought it would be easier to isolate you from everyone else. Honestly, I don't know why he'd do it, Ianto, but isn't it worth just being cautious anyway? We barely know this guy, even if he's not trying to use you in that way he could be anyone and want anything."

"Well I was hardly going to just jump into bed with him, Jack!" Ianto snapped. "I haven't even done it with you and I trust you more than anyone. Hell, I know I have to be careful better than you do. I'm the one who's spent the better part of my life being abused in case you've forgotten."

"Of course I haven't forgotten," Jack snapped back, the reminder of Ianto's past bringing all the pain and anger he felt at what the other boy had been forced to endure to the surface. The fact that Ianto had suffered so greatly for so long was never far from his mind, but he tried his hardest not to dwell on it too often as it only served to put him in a bad mood. He didn't mind when Ianto spoke about his past, in fact he appreciated it, no matter how awful the story, because it showed him that Ianto trusted him. Ianto bringing it up like this however, when they were already fighting, made Jack want to yell and cry at the same time.

"Don't say things like that to me, Ianto. I live with the after effects of what that bastard has done to you every day, you know damn well I haven't forgotten, and saying that to me is just plain petty," Jack snarled angrily.

"But you're talking to me like I'm stupid, Jack, like I'm going to walk on up to someone I barely know and just throw myself at them. Never mind that I have intimacy issues, or that, oh yeah, I'm with you!" Ianto snapped back.

"I'm not saying you're stupid, Ianto! If you think I am you obviously haven't been listening to anything I've said. I'm just trying to look out for you, to keep you safe, isn't that what a boyfriend's supposed to do?" Jack retorted.

"There's protective and then there's controlling, Jack, and even if you're not trying to be the latter you have to remember that I don't need protecting from everything. I can watch out for myself too you know, it's not like the job falls squarely on your shoulders. I've been doing it just fine on my own for the last 17 years," Ianto snarled.

"Yes and it's been going so damn well hasn't it?!"

As soon as the words were out of Jack's mouth he knew they were a mistake. Ianto didn't even say anything before storming out of the room and slamming the door behind him. Jack dropped down onto his bed, holding his head in his hands as tears started to burn his eyes. Yes, he was angry, but it was just plain stupid of him to say that and he knew it. There was a quiet knock on the door and knowing it was going to be either Seeley or Owen wondering what he and Ianto had been arguing about Jack almost told them to go away.

"What?" he snarled instead and the door opened slightly before Seeley's head poked around the side.

"Hey," the American greeted quietly. "I know you probably want to be left alone at the moment, but I wanted to see if you were okay before I went to bed. Are you?" he asked.

Jack nodded. He wasn't okay, he'd probably just ruined his life forever, but it was nothing Seeley could help him with.

"Okay, goodnight, if you need anything you know where to find me," Seeley offered with a sympathetic smile.

"Yeah, thanks," Jack replied sincerely and Seeley nodded before heading out and closing the door behind him.

Jack dropped onto his back on the bed and sighed, pushing back the tears that wouldn't help matters at all. He wanted more than anything to run to Ianto, drop onto his knees and beg forgiveness, but he knew Ianto wouldn't want to see him right now and Jack couldn't blame him for that. Knowing there was nothing else he could do right now Jack grabbed a piece of paper and a sharpie from his desk. He wrote, "I'm sorry, I love you." on the piece of paper in big letters before clipping the lid on the sharpie and chucking it back into the drawer. With the piece of paper in hand Jack grabbed his pyjamas from his cupboard and headed into the bathroom. He slipped the piece of paper under the bathroom door that lead to Ianto's room and headed back to the shower.

As he stood under the hot spray he allowed a couple of tears to fall, hoping like hell that he hadn't completely destroyed his relationship with those stupid words.

XX

Owen knocked on Ianto's door and when the Welshman mumbled for him to come in he slipped into the room to find Ianto sitting at the head of the bed with his knees drawn up to his chest and his arms wrapped around them.

"Are you okay?" Owen asked.

"No," Ianto replied tears shining in his eyes.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Owen asked moving to sit on the bed beside the younger boy.

"No," Ianto repeated his previous answer leaning his chin on his knees.

Owen sighed. He wanted to help, he really did, but if Ianto didn't want his help… "Okay, I'll leave you alone then," he said climbing off the bed and heading toward the door.

"Hey, what did you think of Declan when you met him the other day?" Ianto asked making him pause.

So, that's what they'd been fighting about. "I thought he was a tool," Owen replied honestly and at Ianto's shocked and cranky expression he elaborated. "He was hitting on you, even after Jack had come over and kissed you. Didn't you notice?" he asked, surprised the other boy seemed so shocked by the news.

"No, it didn't seem like he was hitting on me, it just seemed like he was being friendly," Ianto replied and Owen almost sighed at how naive the Welsh boy was.

"No," was all he said in response moving back to sit on the bed beside Ianto.

"But he-" Ianto began to argue and Owen interrupted him once more.

"Ianto, no," he repeated his previous reply and Ianto just blinked at him like a confused puppy. "Maybe you didn't notice because you were right in the middle of it, but trust me, that boy was into you and he didn't seem at all deterred by the fact that you had Jack. Didn't you see the look on his face when you told him you weren't going to be coming back down to the oval after Jack got hit in the head with the soccer ball?" he asked.

"Well, yeah, he was disappointed but-"

"Would you have reacted like that in his place?" Owen asked cutting him off once more.

"Well, no, but I haven't lost all of my friends because of a bigoted asshole," Ianto argued.

"Is that what he told you?" Owen asked shaking his head. "Ianto, it sounds like the perfect sob story he'd tell someone sweet, like you, so they'd feel sorry for him and want to be his friend. Trust me, that boy wanted you."

"What if you're wrong?" Ianto asked. "What if his friends really did desert him for being gay?"

"Then A, they obviously weren't good friends and he's better off without them, and B, yes, there's always the possibility that I'm wrong about him, but life has taught me that when in doubt, always bet on the less pleasant possibility. It might sound pessimistic, but more often than not it turns out to be right," Owen replied with a sad smile.

Ianto sighed. "If I did think like that, then right now I'd be thinking that Jack was deliberately trying to hurt me with what he said before I left the room and I don't want to think that," he whispered sadly.

"Well, I don't know what he said to you, but Jack's not part of the rule, he's an exception, because he loves you. And if you need proof of that all you have to do is go into his room right now and see for yourself, because I guarantee that while you're in here trying not to think badly of him for what he said, he's sitting in his room, trying not to cry, and praying to god that he hasn't just lost you forever," Owen replied softly.

"How do you know?" Ianto asked sadly.

"You forget who looked after him when you guys broke up last time," Owen replied sadly. "And besides, if you were in his place right now isn't that how you'd feel? I know I would."

Tears slipped from Ianto's eyes and knowing there was nothing more to be said Owen gave his arm a gentle squeeze and headed for the door. As he reached out to grab the handle he turned back to look at the Welsh boy and said, "I know you're feeling angry and hurt right now, and I understand you wanting time to yourself to get over it, but don't make him wait for too long before you go and talk to him. He loves you and I know you love him too, don't let a stupid fight come between you, it's not worth it."

He held Ianto's gaze for a moment before pulling the door open and leaving the room shutting it behind him.

XX

Ianto sat there for several minutes after Owen had left thinking about what the Russian boy had said. He was right of course, Jack did love him and Ianto knew he did, just like he knew Jack hadn't meant to say what he said, he was just angry, people always said stupid things when they were angry. He sighed; Jack's anger wasn't entirely the Canadian's fault either. He was only voicing his concerns, which, after what the Canadian had heard, were well founded. Ianto should have discussed Jack's concerns with him calmly rather than jumping down his boyfriend's throat, he knew that, but when the Canadian had started on about Declan like that, Ianto had felt the need to defend the boy who he'd thought could be a friend.

He wasn't sure where the defensiveness had come from, not really. Yes, he felt bad for the other boy having lost his friends and his boyfriend like that, but that didn't justify snapping at Jack like he had. He thought about it for a moment, and when the answer finally dawned on him he wanted to groan in frustration at himself.

The truth of the matter was so simple; it could have been him.

The day they'd all been out in town and Andrew had attacked him and Jack the group had stood by them and immediately come to their defence. But what if it hadn't happened like that? What if Andrew had been a student at their school and had started saying those awful things the moment Jack and Ianto's relationship had begun? The forming of the group had only been fairly recent and Jack and Ianto's relationship would have been brand new, would they have survived the constant barrage of insults and abuse, or would the group have fallen apart and taken Jack and Ianto's relationship with it?

Ianto had lost Jack once; he knew how awful that felt, he didn't even want to think about how it would feel to lose him forever. And his friends, his wonderful, beautiful, loving friends who'd come to mean more to him than his own family back home, he didn't want to imagine life without them, it was too painful. What happened to Declan could easily have happened to him and if it had there would have been nothing left in the world live for. He'd already loved them all by that point just as much as he loved them now, even if he hadn't realised it at the time, and losing them would have been heartbreaking. He didn't want to see someone else suffering like that.

He'd heard Jack in the shower previously so he knew the other boy was out and probably back in his room. Wanting some time to come to grips with what he'd just realized about himself and a bit more time to decide what he wanted to do about Jack he headed into his cupboard to get his pyjamas. He grabbed them and moved toward the bathroom door only to stop when he heard something crunch under his foot. Opening the door to the bathroom and flicking the light on so it could also illuminate the cupboard, Ianto looked down to find the piece of paper Jack had tucked under his door. With more tears sparkling in his eyes he picked it up and read the few simple words over and over before his vision blurred and tears started to drip onto the paper.

It didn't matter what else he said or did, Jack did love Ianto and Ianto loved him. Every couple had fights, it didn't mean they loved each other any less and Ianto wouldn't let a fight get between them. He was angry and hurt, but he knew he'd get over it; he just needed a little time. He thought about going and talking to Jack after his shower, but the fight was still too recent and the hurt still too fresh, it would be better to sleep on it and talk to his love in the morning when his emotions weren't running so high.

He folded the note and put it on the basin next to his clothes for safe keeping while he had his shower. He got through his nightly routine quickly before making his way back to his room and over to his bed. He thought about checking his email but he couldn't handle a Justin Email right now. Instead he slipped in to bed with Jack's letter in his hand and thought about Declan. The boy didn't seem like the type to do what Jack and Owen were saying, but there really was no way to know for sure. Yeah, he could ask him, but he doubted Declan was just going to admit it to him if he were.

Ianto sighed; he didn't know which was going to be harder to think about, Jack and spending the night without him or Declan and what was going on with him, but either way he was more than positive that he wasn't going to be getting much sleep.

XX

It was 3am when Ianto awoke from a restless, nightmare plagued sleep. He couldn't remember what the nightmares were about, they weren't like his ones about Justin that lingered like a bad smell after he awoke, they were fleeting, and wispy, like smoke from a dying fire. It didn't matter of course, a nightmare was still a nightmare whether you remembered it or not and it still left him feeling cold and shivery. Pushing himself up, he threw the covers aside and slipped out of bed. He knew why he was having the nightmares; he was in his bed alone and feeling more than his usual distance from Jack because of their fight. He'd wanted a chance to sleep on it, he'd done that, and even though his emotions were still high after the frightening dreams he was feeling more rationally able to deal with the fight they'd had than he had been earlier.

He knew Jack was probably sleeping but he didn't care, he needed to see him, he needed to be with him. The distance hurt, reminding him too much of the time they'd spent apart during Easter. He slipped silently through the bathroom and into Jack's room through the cupboard. As he closed the door and headed toward the bed, where Jack was sure to be, he heard soft sobbing coming from under a pile of blankets. Feeling his heart constrict at the thought of his love crying Ianto crept closer and sat down on the bed next to the pile of blankets that were now trembling slightly.

As he reached out to pull back the blankets he heard a quiet sob of, "No…Ianto no," coming from beneath them. He realized then that Jack must be having a nightmare and pulled the blankets back to find the Canadian curled up in a ball, his eyes screwed shut as tears slipped from them. His fingers were curled tightly into the pillow he was holding, the one Ianto slept on when they were in Jack's room together and Jack was trembling and sobbing quietly. "No, no Ianto," Jack sobbed once more and Ianto reached out to gently shake the sleeping boy.

"Jack, wake up," he whispered softly. Jack slept on so Ianto repeated his actions, all to no avail. Finally, not sure what else to do, Ianto leant down and kissed the Canadian lightly on the temple, slipping his hands back into Jack's crazy hair and stroking it lightly. "It's okay, Jack, I'm here," he whispered into Jack's ear.

Jack stilled slightly and took a shaky breath before his whisper of, "Ianto?" echoed through the quiet room.

"Yes, it's Ianto. I'm right here, Jack, open your eyes and look at me, love," Ianto replied leaning up to kiss his boyfriend's forehead this time.

Jack sniffled quietly before Ianto saw his eyes flutter open and look up at him. "Ianto," he said softly. "I was dreaming and you…you were-"

"It was just a dream, Jack," Ianto reassured him, stroking his fingers softly through the other boy's hair. "It's okay, I'm right here, everything's okay."

Jack just stared at him for a few moments, almost as if he were taking stock of Ianto and making sure he was all there. When at last it seemed he was satisfied Jack sat up properly and moved the pillow that had been in his arms back to the top of the bed. He moved the blankets around until they looked more orderly then sat at the head of the bed looking down at his hands which were resting in his lap.

"Do you want to yell at me?" the Canadian mumbled sadly.

Ianto reached forward and slipped his hand under Jack's chin tilting his face up to look at Ianto. "No," he said softly gazing into Jack's tear-bright blue/grey eyes. "I didn't come in here to yell at you, cariad, I came in because I needed to see you. Yes, I do want to talk about this afternoon, but not right now. Right now I just want to hold you, can I do that?" he asked softly.

Jack's eyes looked more than a little glassy as he nodded and moved the blankets back for Ianto to climb in beside him. Ianto got himself comfortable and held out his arms to Jack who crawled into them without a word. Ianto held the Canadian tightly to him and kissed his hair. "I love you," he whispered.

"I love you too," Jack replied quietly and Ianto carded his fingers through the Canadian's crazy hair until he felt the other boy relax completely into his arms.

As Ianto felt Jack's breathing even out he closed his eyes and waited for sleep to claim him, feeling much more at peace than he had earlier in the evening. As he drifted off Ianto was struck by how their roles had reversed and rather than Jack holding and comforting him after a nightmare, it was the Canadian in his arms recovering from an awful dream. In a way they'd come full circle, and while Ianto wasn't entirely thrilled with how they'd gotten there, he was pleased that for once he could be the one to take care of the boy he loved.

XX

When Ianto opened his eyes the following morning to the sound of Jack's alarm he was happier than he could ever describe that it was a weekend and they didn't have anywhere to be. Jack stirred as Ianto was reaching over to turn off the infernal noise, and as he hit the button which would return peace to the room, something he normally let Jack do in his own room, the Canadian sat up slightly and looked at him in curiosity.

"We're not going anywhere just now," Ianto stated pulling Jack back into his arms and settling down to sleep once more. Jack was smart enough not to say anything before cuddling back into Ianto's chest and returning quickly to sleep.

XX

It was 10:00 before either of them moved next and this time Ianto awoke to find Jack leaning up on his elbow and watching him while his fingers carded through Ianto's hair.

"Hey," he greeted softly when Ianto opened his eyes, his expression serious but not sad as it had been the previous night.

"Hey," Ianto greeted in return bringing his hand up to touch his boyfriend's beautiful face.

Jack leant into the touch and turned his head slightly to kiss Ianto's palm. "I'm sorry," he said quietly.

"It's okay, I know you didn't mean it," Ianto replied. "I'm sorry too, for overreacting and snapping at you like I did. You were just trying to look out for me and you didn't deserve that."

Jack looked away for a moment before saying, "I don't ever want to control you and I don't ever want you to feel like I'm trying to. I know you know what you're doing and you're more than capable of taking care of yourself. I have never doubted these things about you, Ianto, not ever. I just … I worry about you, so much you have no idea, and not because I think you can't take care of yourself, but because I know how badly you've been hurt in your life and I don't ever want to see another awful thing happen to you." He looked down at Ianto then, his eyes sparkling with unshed tears.

"When you asked me yesterday if I'd forgotten what had happened to you that hurt, a lot, because you know I could never and would never forget that and because you know how much it hurts me to think of those things happening to you. You asking me that hit a nerve and I snapped at you, but I didn't mean what I said and that's no excuse to talk to you the way I did. I'm sorry, I really am," he finished quietly looking down.

Ianto slid his fingers over Jack's cheek and back into his hair leaving his thumb to gently stroke the soft skin under Jack's ear. "I know, and I know I shouldn't have said that to you, I know how much my past upsets you," he said softly. He took a deep breath and let it out before he continued. "Like I said before, I overacted, you didn't deserve to be snapped at like that; you hadn't done anything wrong. I'm sorry for that and for what I said, I wasn't meaning to be so cruel, I was just feeling defensive and that's no excuse for biting your head off."

Jack looked up at him then and asked. "What did I say to make you react like that? I really don't want to do it again."

Ianto sighed, he knew this was going to come up and as much as he didn't want to answer that question he knew that he had to. "It wasn't anything you said so much as what I was thinking when you said it," Ianto explained. When Jack just looked at him puzzled he gave the other boy a sad smile before replying. "It could have been me, Jack. What Declan said about losing his friends and his boyfriend because of Andrew; that could so easily have happened to me if things had been different, if our relationship wasn't as strong as it is, if our friends weren't as brave. I love you all so much, you're more a family to me than my own flesh and blood and the thought of losing you all hurts me, a lot." He looked down then not wanting to look at Jack as he continued.

"Hearing Declan talk about losing everyone around him, it just made me think about how I'd feel in his place and I wanted to help him, I didn't want him to be alone because I know how awful it would feel to be in his place. Then, when you started talking about him as if there was something bad about our friendship my first thought was that you somehow agreed with all of his friends deserting him, and that if it were me in his place you wouldn't want anyone to help me, and once I got into that stupid mind frame I just couldn't get out of it again, everything you were saying just sounded like an attack on the boy and … I know it's stupid, I know I had no reason to think that about you, I just … I couldn't stop thinking about the pain. I'm sorry, I know you're not like that, Jack, I'm just … I'm sorry," he finished knowing there was nothing more to say on the matter. It had been a stupid thought, but it had been what he was thinking, and now it was up to Jack to decide how he felt about that.

For a moment the room was silent; then Jack spoke. "It wouldn't happen, not to you, because our relationship is strong and out friends are brave. You're never going to lose us, Ianto, you don't have to be afraid of that," he whispered reassuringly.

"I know I don't," Ianto replied. "I know the fear is completely unfounded, but if you'll notice, most of the fears people harbour are stupid and irrational, that's why they frighten us so much." He finally looked up at Jack. "Isn't there anything you're afraid of that's so completely irrational and stupid that it could never possibly happen but it scares you silly anyway?" he asked.

Jack held his gaze for a moment before leaning down and bringing his lips to Ianto's. The kiss was sweet and gentle and filled with so much love it made Ianto smile despite the awfulness of the previous evening. When Jack pulled back he pressed his face to Ianto's with a soft smile. "You're right, of course, everybody has fears like that. I just want you to know yours is never going to happen. You've got me now; I'm here with you, always. I promise nothing's going to take me away from you."

Ianto returned his smile and kissed Jack once more; slipping his arms around his love's neck and pulling him close. Jack was right of course, they wouldn't leave him and he knew it, when the end of the year came it would be him leaving them, and in a lot of ways that was sadder. Still, with their fight over Ianto was feeling pretty good about their relationship, very comfortable with everything, and because of that there was something he wanted to do tonight with Jack, a step in the right direction.

"Hey, do you have any assignment work to do with Seeley this afternoon?" Ianto asked.

"No, we're getting back to it on Tuesday," Jack replied.

Ianto nodded, "Good, I want you to myself tonight," he stated, chuckling at the smirk that crossed Jack's beautiful features.

"Aye, aye, Sir," the Canadian replied with a mock salute and Ianto reached behind him to grab the pillow under his head and whacked Jack in the side with it.

Jack's look turned sly and before Ianto knew it he was in the middle of a pillow fight with his boyfriend.

XX

At lunch Jack and Ianto joined the others in the dining hall and Ianto was more than a little surprised by all the hugs he and Jack were graced with, something he found a little uncomfortable but didn't mind as much as he'd expected to. He had to smile at how careful everyone was with him despite how long it had been since the accident at Wet and Wild.

"Everything okay?" Owen asked softly as he hugged Ianto.

"Yeah, thanks," Ianto replied, giving his friend a grateful smile.

"Welcome," Owen replied returning the smile.

No one said anything about it, but it was obvious the group had been concerned about them when they hadn't been present at breakfast. They chatted happily through lunch and when Jack disappeared at one stage to go to the bathroom Ianto turned to the group and asked them what they all thought of Declan. He was more than a little surprised to hear that most of them felt the same way Owen had. He felt a little silly after that, how had he not noticed?

"You're still not confident enough in yourself." Ianto looked up as Tosh sat down where Jack had been before he left the table. "You didn't see what Declan was doing because you still don't think you're wonderful enough for other people to be attracted to you," she continued as if she'd been reading his mind. "You are you know, you need to stop thinking like that," she added.

Ianto smiled at her, "Old habits die hard you know," he said.

"But they do die eventually, you just have to keep trying," Tosh replied.

Ianto sighed, "Yeah, I know. Sometimes I really think I'm getting there, usually when Jack's looking at me or holding me like he does. Then there's times where I just slip back into old thought patterns, usually when he's not around, and the doubt comes back. It's happening less frequently now though," he added giving her a hopeful smile.

She smiled back, "That's good," she praised. "And you are getting better, I can see it."

"Really?" he asked surprised.

"Ianto you just let us all hug you," Tosh replied and Ianto chuckled. "You never would have let us do that at the start of the year."

"It wasn't easy, but it wasn't as hard as I expected it to be," Ianto said, placing his elbow on the table and resting his face on his hand. "I've never really thought of my discomfort with people invading my personal space being linked to my confidence issues though, do you think they are?" he asked curiously.

"I do," Tosh replied. "I think they're all symptoms of the same issue and as you overcome more of that issue the symptoms bother you less and less. Do you think I'm wrong?" she asked.

Ianto shrugged. "I don't know. You're probably not, you're probably exactly right I've just never thought of it that way, although I really should have, I am the one living with it after all."

It was strange that he'd never thought that way. After all she was right, all of the issues he had stemmed from Justin and the torment he'd put Ianto through since their childhood, each issue just came from a different facet of that torment. That must mean he was getting better and he liked that, a lot. He smiled at her, "I really love you, you know," he said quietly and she returned his smile.

"Love you too," she replied reaching out to squeeze his hand.

She really was lovely, all of them were. If this was the last year he'd spend on the planet at least he got to spend it with a wonderful group of people.

XX

The rest of the day went smoothly for the most part and in the afternoon Ianto and Jack decided to go for a walk into town together. They'd been wandering for a while when Ianto's phone rang and when Morghan's name flashed up on the screen he stopped walking to take it. They hadn't been talking long when the call dropped out from the bad reception up in the mountains and spotting a payphone Ianto headed across the street to call her back.

Jack was waiting for him when he saw Declan walking along the footpath toward the private school's oval. Looking back to see if Ianto was nearly done, and seeing that he didn't seem to be, Jack jogged over to the other boy and called out his name. Declan was a few metres inside the oval's fence line but stopped and turned back to face him with a smile.

"Jack, how are you?" he asked pleasantly but Jack wasn't buying it.

"I had an interesting conversation with a fellow named Josh yesterday," Jack told him with a glare, not bothering to answer the other boy's question.

Declan's smile died and his expression became guarded. "Oh, and what did he have to say for himself?" the blonde asked.

"He told me all about the little game you played with him and his friends," Jack replied enjoying the way the blonde tensed at his words.

"I didn't play-" the private school boy started to say, but Jack cut him off.

"Don't bother, I know you're lying. Your intentions were quite obvious at the sport carnival so why don't we just cut the crap and get down to the truth of the matter. You want my boyfriend, you can't have him, go and find someone else to play your games with," Jack snarled menacingly.

For a moment Declan just looked at him, then a sly grin spread across his face. "Oh, and why should I? He's a fine piece of ass, Jack, and I have no intention of going anywhere until he's mine," he hissed.

"He'll never be yours," Jack snarled back.

"Do you want to bet on that?" Declan asked challengingly.

"No, because Ianto's not a bet to me, he's the person I love and I'm not going to let you hurt him," Jack snapped.

"Who says I want to hurt him?" Declan asked. "I just want to ride his gorgeous ass and I'm going to, do you want to know why? Because I'm better than you, I'm smarter, I'm better looking and I have a lot more in common with Ianto than you do. I always get what I want and I want Ianto," he finished with a lecherous grin.

"I don't care what you want; Ianto's my boyfriend, you're not going to take him from me!" Jack argued wanting nothing more than to punch Declan's lights out.

"Oh yes I am, I'm going to beat you Jack. I'm going to be the one popping his sexy little Welsh cherry, not you," Declan taunted him. "I'm going to make him mine, Jack, you can't stop me."

"No you won't," Jack argued. "Ianto loves me; Ianto needs me, not you!"

"I can make Ianto need me too you know," Declan replied with a smirk, "I've certainly done it before. All it would take is convincing him that he's outgrown you. I can't imagine that would be hard and honestly, after you've been such a big pain in my ass over this, even if I can't steal him away from you myself, I'm going to do everything I can to convince him that he doesn't need you anymore and would be better off without you. It might not get me his ass, but if it gets it away from you I'd still call that a victory."

Jack was getting thoroughly annoyed with this conversation. No matter what he said the stupid blonde had a comeback and he was coming closer and closer to losing his temper and pummelling Declan's stupid grinning face. He'd wanted to warn the other boy off Ianto, to let him know that his game was up and they were on to him, he hadn't expected this much of a fight back. He was angry, but more than anything he was worried. Ianto hadn't seemed convinced about Declan, even after their conversation this morning and if Declan wouldn't back off the only way Jack could keep Ianto safe would be to convince the Welsh boy of Declan's intentions.

That wasn't his only worry however; as much as he'd never admit it to anyone, deep down, he really was worried that Declan might be able to take Ianto away from him.

This was a new feeling for Jack, he'd never been in a relationship before and he'd never had to face the thought of someone he loved being taken away from him. He'd never loved anyone except John and there was no fear of anyone taking him away, they were best friends and everyone had always just known it. Now, here was Ianto, the boy Jack loved more than anything and someone wanted to take him away. So far in their relationship Jack had been the only one to be chased and he'd always known he wasn't going anywhere so there was no worry there. He knew Ianto loved him, but their relationship had started when the boy was so very fragile. He was much stronger now and Declan might be able to convince him that he didn't need Jack anymore. He may even come to that conclusion on his own one day, a thought that scared Jack a great deal.

He didn't like this feeling, he didn't want it anymore. Pushing aside the tears that wanted to fill his eyes he directed his mind to another feeling, one he could use right now; anger. Ianto might leave him one day but right now it didn't matter, Jack would keep the boy he loved safe and that meant keeping him away from Declan and his crap. If Declan wanted to play dirty Jack would make sure he knew what he was getting in for. He would fight for Ianto, here and now, even if the Welsh boy ultimately decided he didn't need Jack anymore.

"You know what, you can say whatever you want, it's just words and they don't mean anything. Ianto has a right to make his own decisions and if he decides he wants someone else one day I would let him go. Right now though he's my boyfriend, it's my job to look out for him and you **will** stay the hell away from him!" Jack snapped.

"And why would I want to do that?" Declan asked.

"Because if you don't, I'll kill you," Jack snarled.

Declan laughed. "You, kill me?" he asked disbelievingly. "Come on, Jack, you don't have the guts."

"You think?" Jack asked challengingly moving to stand in Declan's personal space. "You stay the fuck away from my boyfriend or you'll find out," he snarled.

"Your boyfriend? Ianto's not yours, Jack," Declan replied laughingly.

"Yes. He. Is!" Jack enunciated every word. "Ianto is mine damn it, mine!" Jack growled.

A wide, scheming smile spread across Declan's face. "Well isn't that just interesting. I wonder how Ianto would feel if he knew you felt that way about him. Why don't we ask him? Hey Ianto, how does it feel to know your boyfriend thinks he owns you?" Declan asked looking past Jack.

Jack felt his insides freeze as he turned around to find Ianto standing not far behind him, a cold, angry glare in his usually warm, blue eyes. Jack couldn't move, he couldn't think, Ianto was livid and it was almost certainly at Jack for what he'd just said. How could he have been so stupid? How had he not seen that coming? Phone calls couldn't last forever and Ianto was bound to come looking for him when it was done.

He watched as the Welsh boy strode towards him, terrified of what the Ianto was going to say but completely incapable of thinking of anything to say in his defence. The Welsh boy stopped when he reached Jack's side and for the longest time he just looked at him. Finally, when the silence was threatening to drive Jack to insanity, Ianto spoke.

"Come on, Jack, it's getting late." Was all he said, before taking Jack's hand and leading him out of the oval.

Jack followed him completely confused by his boyfriend's actions.

"Wait, Ianto, what are you doing? Aren't you upset with him?" Declan asked jogging around to stand in front of Ianto, blocking his path.

Jack was about to growl at the other boy when Ianto spoke. "Get out of my way." It was said calmly and quietly but there was no way anyone would miss the cold anger behind those words.

Declan just stared at Ianto in shock. "I don't understand; how could you not be angry about that?" He demanded a mixture of annoyance and disbelief in his voice.

"I'm only going to ask you to get out of my way one more time, Declan," Ianto replied in that same cold tone.

Jack tensed, he'd never seen Ianto like this; it almost made him afraid on Declan's behalf…almost.

"No, you know what, this is crazy," Declan shouted, obviously annoyed. "He just admitted to thinking he owned you, Ianto, you can't be okay with that, no one should be okay with that. Can't you see he's just-"

Declan didn't get the chance to finish his sentence as Ianto grabbed him by the collar and pushed him back roughly against a tree.

"Do you think I'm blind, Declan? Are you honestly stupid enough to think I don't see what you're doing? When Jack told me what you were up to I thought he was being paranoid, but after the lovely conversation I just had with Morghan and coming down here to find you riling my boyfriend up like you were I see he was right. I don't know who think you are or what gives you the idea that you could ever drive a wedge between Jack and I but it's not going to work, and in the future I want nothing more to do with you, am I clear?" Ianto snarled in a low, menacing tone.

Jack watched Declan's expression go from shocked to afraid and the other boy nodded quickly.

"Good," Ianto snarled before letting go of Declan's shirt and heading back to where Jack was waiting. "Come on," he ordered, taking Jack's hand again and dragging him away.

The journey back to the school was taken in silence, as was the walk to the dorm. When they finally reached Jack's room Ianto ordered Jack to enter first before following him in, closing the door and locking it behind them. Jack turned to say something to his Welshman, but found himself suddenly pushed up against the bedroom door and kissed, roughly.

Jack groaned loudly and kissed back, wrapping his arms around Ianto's waist and holding the lovely, Welsh body tightly against his. Ianto's hands grasped his face, holding him in place as the Welsh boy plundered his mouth. There was no battle for dominance in this kiss, Ianto was in control; he kissed Jack until Jack's lungs were burning before finally pulling away. He didn't go far, leaning his forehead against Jack's as they panted for breath. When at last he spoke his words surprised Jack greatly.

"Do you not understand my love for you?" he demanded.

"No … I mean yes, I do, I just-"

"Then what the hell was that all about?" Ianto demanded cutting him off and pulling away slightly. "If you truly know how much I love you then how could you let him get to you like that? Fuck, Jack, you know how hard it was for me to accept your love, but I did it, for you. I stopped being afraid and letting people like Gwen bother me because that's what you asked me to do. It was harder than you'll ever know, but I did it. How much do you think it scares me to know that you don't even believe in us? How much do you think it hurts to know that I have all the faith in the world in you but you have none in me? Even after we had that conversation this morning where I told you how afraid I was of losing you!" he snarled a mixture of anger and pain in his voice. "I love you, Jack, I. Love. You! What do I have to do to make you believe that?!" he demanded tears beginning to sparkle in his eyes. "What do I have to do to keep this from ending? Tell me!"

Jack felt like an ass. Ianto wasn't angry he was frightened, frightened in ways Jack hadn't seen him be since the beginning of their relationship and it was his fault. He'd forgotten just how fragile Ianto was when it came to relationships and feelings. He'd been so strong for so many months, at least on the outside, and Jack had made the mistake of thinking that meant he was better when he wasn't, not completely, and he probably wouldn't be for a long time yet.

Ianto put up a little resistance when Jack gathered him into his arms. However, with his anger mostly diffused and replaced by the underlying fear, most of the fight was gone from him. Jack pulled him over to the bed and laid them both down curling his body protectively around the smaller boy.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, kissing Ianto's hair. "I know I was being silly, I was just frightened of losing you and I know that's not fair of me after what I asked of you. But, Sweetheart, I wasn't afraid because I didn't trust you or because I don't think our relationship is going to work because I do. I was afraid because you are the most important person in my life. I knew he wanted to take you away from me and the thought of losing you scares me. You've gotten so strong over the last couple of months, you're not the same person I met at the start of the year and I so very proud of you for that. For a minute there, when Declan was saying all those things to me, I was scared that you might realise how strong you'd become and decide you didn't need me anymore. I'd never thought of that before, but after we had that fight last night and you just walked away from me like you did … I was scared Ianto. I've already lost you once and it nearly killed me, I couldn't survive that again. I'm sorry, sweetheart, I really am, I slipped up and I'll never do it again. Forgive me, please," he quietly pleaded.

After a few moments of silence Ianto's quiet voice replied, "All right."

Jack didn't like the other boy's tone, he still sounded upset and while Jack hadn't expected Ianto to just go back to being all lovey dovey with him this didn't sound like the remnants of anger, it sounded like something else entirely. "Ianto, are you okay?" he asked.

"I'm fine," the Welsh boy replied and Jack cringed at the dreaded answer.

"Ianto what's wrong?" he asked.

His boyfriend sighed, "It's my fault," he replied.

"What is?" Jack asked.

"Nothing I…there's something I wanted to talk to you about tonight but … I don't know if it's such a good idea now," Ianto replied dejectedly.

"Ianto you can talk to me about anything, you know that," Jack replied annoyed that his stupidity from that afternoon had ruined whatever Ianto had wanted to do. From what he was saying Jack had a feeling that whatever it was, it was a big deal to the other boy and their relationship.

"No, it's okay, we'll do it another night," Ianto replied softly, moving out of Jack's arms and heading toward the bathroom. "I need to have a shower," he said quietly.

"Ianto, please, I'm sorry, I know I did something stupid and you have every right to be upset with me, but whatever it is you wanted to talk about with me I'm right here, ready to listen, please don't let my stupidity ruin tonight for you," Jack pleaded quietly.

"It's not your mood that's ruined it, Jack, it's mine," Ianto replied softly before heading into the bathroom and closing the door behind him.

Jack dropped down on to his bed and groaned in annoyance, "You're an idiot Jack," he scolded himself, covering his face with his hands. He stayed like that until he heard Ianto inform him the shower was free, he then trudged his way into the bathroom to shower himself, grabbing his pyjamas from the cupboard as he passed. He showered and performed his nightly ritual as quickly as he could before trudging back to his room and dropping back down onto the bed. He was just deciding if he should knock on Ianto's door and wish him good night or just leave him alone when there was a knock on his cupboard door.

"Come in," Jack called quietly.

The young Welshman entered the room and crept over to the bed his arms crossed across his chest and eyes glued to the floor. He crawled across the bed to Jack's side and Jack sat up to greet him, nervous about the way Ianto was acting. He looked cautious and fearful.

"Ianto, are you okay?" he asked worriedly.

Ianto didn't look at him as he replied, "When I was younger, before he –Ianto didn't have to explain who "he" was- started … raping me and sometimes even after, he used to hurt me in other ways. At first it was just beatings, but later… I don't know, I guess that got boring so he found other things to use." Ianto took a deep breath and Jack cringed internally knowing how hard this was for the other boy to talk about. "One day it was a candle and hot wax, the next it was a bat or boiling water, most of those things were bad but I eventually recovered from them." He paused again and Jack had to fight not to pull the Welsh boy into his arms and tell him it was okay, he didn't have to talk about it when it hurt him so much.

He couldn't do that, Ianto needed to talk about these things even if they hurt and Jack needed to hear them as much as they made him want to cry. Jack never told Ianto, but every time the Welsh boy revealed something about his past Jack spent the rest of the day fighting back tears and praying to the universe that there wasn't worse for Ianto still to tell him.

"One afternoon, when mum and dad weren't home, Justin came home with a whip and … well, I guess in a lot of ways I was lucky, my grandparents showed up to visit us after only a few minutes, but the damage was done. The scars … they never went away." Here Ianto paused again and took a deep breath. "I haven't been around anyone without a shirt on since, but now … well … I guess I want you to see this before anything else happens between us, so."

Ianto grabbed the bottom of his shirt but Jack reached out and stilled his hands before they could raise it.

"Ianto, you don't have to do this," Jack said softly.

"Yes I do," Ianto said looking up at Jack for the first time since he'd entered the room. "I need to do this, Jack."

"Why?" Jack asked

"Because I want you," Ianto replied, tears sparkling in his eyes. "I want you so badly you have no idea. I can hold you and kiss you but nothing else, and that drives me crazy because I want to do so much more than that. If I was a normal person I'd just walk right up and ask you for it, or initiate it myself. But I'm not, I have to work up to everything, that's the only way I can do these things, Jack, and the first step I have to take in this case is this. Please understand," Ianto pleaded.

Jack brought his hands up to cup Ianto's face. "I understand doing these things is hard for you, I can only guess how much trust it takes to even let me near you," he said softly pressing his forehead against Ianto's. "If this is what you feel you need to do right now I'll help you any way I can, I just don't want you to do it because you feel like you have to, because you don't. I love you; I'm perfectly happy with our relationship just the way it is, there's no hurry, all right."

"I know, you never pressure me and you have no idea how much I love you for that. I have to do this though, now, for me," Ianto said quietly

"Okay," Jack replied pulling his hands away.

Ianto took a deep breath and moved his hands back to grab his shirt. He turned around so his back was to Jack and lifted it slowly over his head before dropping it on the bed next to him. At that moment Jack was incredibly thankful that Ianto wasn't facing him as he didn't want his love to see the look of horror he was sure must be on his face at that moment. Several long, jagged lines ran from Ianto's right shoulder to his left hip. They were white and flat against his skin, indicating that they'd healed some time ago, but must have been excruciating when they were incurred.

Tears pricked Jack's eyes and it took him several failed attempts before he managed to ask, "Can I hold you?"

Ianto turned around and Jack saw fear and shame in his lovely blue eyes. It was only there for a moment however as the Welsh boy took in the tears that were now trailing down Jack's face. "Jack," he said softly turning around and pulling Jack into his arms.

Jack shouldn't be crying; he knew he shouldn't, he should have been the strong one, the one holding Ianto while he cried. But he couldn't help it, seeing the scars that marred the boy he loved hurt so much and after the day he'd had and the emotional exhaustion he was currently feeling, it was as if he had no control over his reactions at all. He clung to Ianto, burying his face in the boy's neck and sobbing while Ianto stroked his hair and told him it was okay.

Jack sobbed quietly until he felt strong enough to reign the emotions back in. Once he had a little more control over himself he pulled back from Ianto's hold and looked at the boy he loved. "I'm sorry," he said quietly.

"It's okay," Ianto replied understandingly. "It's been a hard couple of days for us and you've heard so many of these horrible stories from me now, it was only a matter of time before it all got to be too much for you. It's funny, you were saying how strong I'd become, but I really don't feel that strong yet. When I think of strength I always think of you because you've been my source of strength for so long, I forget sometimes how hard it must be for you. You're as new to these kinds of relationships and feelings as I am, I just … sometimes it's still hard for me to remember that. I'm sorry I was so angry at you before, I shouldn't expect you not to have moments of weakness too, it's not fair. Forgive me," he asked softly.

"Of course I do," Jack replied quietly.

Ianto smiled at him lovingly and leant down to kiss him. It was barely a brush of lips against lips, but it eased the tension Jack had been feeling since he'd run across Declan in town. Ianto might have been healing but he wasn't all the way there yet, he still needed Jack to be strong for him and Jack would be. He hadn't mentioned his fear that Ianto might outgrow him one day, and he would be lying if he said it wasn't still there in the back of his mind. Right now though, Jack didn't want to think about any of that, he only wanted to think about the here and now.

When Ianto pulled away Jack whispered, "Turn around."

Ianto looked back at him alarmed. "Jack, are you sure you want-"

"Please," Jack asked softly cutting his love off.

Ianto looked at him worriedly for several moments, before doing as Jack asked and turning around. Jack looked down as he was turning and took a deep breath to prepare himself before looking up at the damage the bastard had done to his love's back. It still hurt to see it, but at least this time he knew what to expect. Reaching out he ran his hands gently over the skin of the Welsh boy's back tracing the scars. Ianto tensed slightly but didn't speak allowing Jack his exploration.

Were the scars not present on Ianto's back this would have been one of the most wonderful experiences of Jack's life; finally getting to touch the gorgeous Welsh boy's skin. As it was this was going to take some getting used to before he could fully view it that way and he was glad Ianto had done this now and not when he and Jack were being intimate further down the track. He knew how hard it must have been for Ianto to show him this and how awful his initial reaction must have been for his love to face. Because of this, even though Jack was still feeling upset at the sight of his love's old injuries, he knew he had to do something to make this experience better for the boy he loved and let him know that his scars didn't detract from his beauty in Jack's eyes.

Bringing his hands down to Ianto's hips Jack drew the Welsh boy back into the space between his legs. Holding him steady Jack leant forward and pressed his lips softly to one of the scars marring his love's skin. He heard Ianto gasp quietly but he didn't pull away and Jack continued on to the next scar kissing it softly as well. He made his way across Ianto's back making sure he didn't miss any and when he was finally done he stood up from the bed and pulled Ianto back into his arms bringing his lips to the Welsh boy's throat.

"I love you," he whispered. "Thank you for trusting me enough to show me this."

Ianto's body trembled slightly as he nodded in reply and Jack saw a tear leave the eye closest to him. He pulled back and turned Ianto to face him before slipping his arms around him once more. For the first time in a long time Ianto didn't hold him back choosing instead to snuggle into Jack's arms with his hands held tightly to his own chest - a gesture Jack recognised as a defensive one. No, Ianto most definitely wasn't healed yet and it would take a lot more time and care before he was.

Reaching down Jack pulled one of Ianto's hands up to his lips and kissed it gently before slipping it up and around his own neck. He did the same to the other one before bringing his lips down to the Welsh boy's forehead. "This doesn't change anything, sweetheart," Jack whispered. "I still think you're the most beautiful thing I've ever laid eyes on and I still love you more than you know. I'm here, Ianto, I'm always going to be here, I promise," he finished stroking Ianto's cheek softly.

More tears left Ianto's eyes and he leant up to capture Jack's lips in a loving and desperate kiss. When they separated Jack led Ianto over to the bed and coaxed him to lie down in Jack's arms before pulling the blanket over them.

"We've got to go to dinner," Ianto reminded him.

"We've got a couple of minutes," Jack replied, cuddling the Welsh boy close and gently stroking the currently naked skin of his back. He needed just a little longer alone with the boy he loved before they joined the others.

XX

End of chapter..

So what did we think? Did we like Ianto's dealing with Declan? Please review I really do loves them lots and lots!

Review replies

katwinchester: I'm glad I made you happy and honestly, who could resist a hug from Jack? Don't worry I love your reviews, you don't ramble at all 3

J3d1M0nk3ySp0ck: I'm glad I made you smile after the bad emails. I hope you enjoy the update.

Black59: Ianto is a bit of a pessimist, but at least he has Jack to help snap him out of it. Don't worry, Jack's not silly, he knows something's going on.

Torchwood Cardiff: Thanks, I hope you enjoyed the Owen moments in this chapter.

Twilightluva786: Thanks, hope you enjoyed the update.

Angel-eyes56: Yes Jack is a smartie, he knows there's something going on. Thanks as always for the lovely review.

Badly-knitted:Yes Andrew has issues, but sadly this is far more common in the world than it should be. Thanks for reviewing.

Ciocia: Thank you for your lovely review I always love them, I hope you enjoyed the update.

Dashinghero: yes Declan had issues and lots of them. Andrew may make another appearance I haven't quite decided yet.

Lady Emma Wentworth: Thank you for suck a lovely review, I'm glad you like my writing style so much, I work very hard on the emotional scenes. The story will continue never fear, it's all a matter of time or lack thereof unfortunately. I hope you enjoyed the new chapter.

ChipD. Thanks, it's so lovely to hear from new reviewers. I hope you enjoyed the update.


	24. Holiday Distance

Hello everyone I'm back with another chapter at last! I'm of course sorry for the wait, this annoying thing called life keeps getting in the way of my writing Grrr! I'm not going to talk about this chapter I'm just going to let you read it and I'll talk more at the end.

Big thanks to Socalrose for betaing for me, you're brilliant as always honey xxoo

**Holiday Distance**

The rest of the semester flew by in a blur of crazy studying and assignment work. Morghan and Ray returned to school shortly after Ianto and Jack's run in with Declan and while still being sad about their friend's unfortunate passing, managed to catch up on their work rather quickly and returned to normal as much as possible. Ianto was happy to note both girls seemed even closer to their significant other than they had been before everything had happened; at least there seemed to be one positive out of the horrible experience.

None of them had heard from or seen Declan; which Ianto could only view as a good thing as he really didn't need the drama of the boy right now. And while Justin's emails had continued to grow more and more disturbing the closer the holidays came; Ianto pushed the awful thoughts they brought about aside as well as he could and got on with school and living life to the fullest. The group were all going well and were looking forward to their upcoming holidays. Several of them were going home and were excited about the prospect of seeing their families, even though they were going to miss their friends back in Australia while they were gone.

Jack had rented a house for the holiday, a relatively large one, which turned out to be a good thing as John soon informed him that several of their other friends back in Canada had heard John was coming to visit and decided to join him, meaning it wasn't only one, but five friends Jack would have visiting him for the holidays. Jack was so excited about seeing his friends and even more excited about getting to show Ianto off to them which made Ianto smile, but as much as Ianto wouldn't admit it to anyone, he was more than a little nervous about meeting so many of Jack's friends at once. What if they didn't like him? What if they didn't think he was good enough for Jack? The prospect scared him, but he didn't mention a word to Jack, focusing on his love's excitement and happy to see the other boy so cheerful.

The night before the holidays were to start saw the group all gathered together for dinner, talking excitedly about what their plans were for the holidays and using it as a farewell for those who were going away. In the end it was Jack, Ianto, Mickey, Rhys, Owen, Elena, Temperance, and Martha who were staying around while everyone else was going home to their families for the holidays. Ianto missed them all already and he could tell they felt the same about each other.

When dinner was over they headed back to their rooms to pack, but not before exchanging several long, lingering hugs with those who were going away. He felt bad for the couples who'd be separated for the two weeks they were all on holidays, but there was nothing for it, they'd see each other again soon.

He and Jack were the first to arrive at the room as Owen and Seeley had wanted to walk Temperance and Katie back to their block and they immediately disappeared into Jack's room, closing the door behind them. Ianto was swept up in the Canadian's arms before he could even turn around properly and he chuckled as Jack buried his face in his neck and took a deep breath.

"I'm going to miss you," the other boy whispered.

Ianto chuckled again. "It's only going to be two days, Jack," he reminded his love.

"Two days too long," Jack replied with a groan cuddling Ianto tighter. "Why can't you come with me tomorrow?" he asked in a voice that reminded Ianto so much of a whining child he had to laugh.

They'd discussed this a million times now and still Jack wasn't happy with the outcome. Jack's friends were arriving the following day and Ianto wanted the Canadian to have a chance to catch up with his friends, especially John, without him getting in the way. That being the case he'd organised to stay in a hotel on the coast for the first two nights with the others who were sticking around for the holidays, much to Jack's chagrin. Of course Ianto would miss him for those couple of nights but, Jack hadn't seen his friends in ages and they deserved the opportunity to have a private catch up with the friend they'd flown all the way over here to see.

Jack knew this and he had accepted it, but he didn't like it at all. Ianto could understand that of course, they'd started off the last holidays apart and neither of them wanted to think about why it had happened or how much it hurt. Still, Ianto knew it was the right thing to do and it was only two days; they'd survive.

"You know why," he replied to the unhappy teen. "It's only two days, Jack, you'll be so preoccupied in catching up with your friends you won't even have time to miss me."

"Will miss you," Jack mumbled childishly and Ianto laughed again stroking Jack's hair in a way he knew always soothed his Canadian. It had the desired effect and very soon Jack was relaxing in his arms, his grip on Ianto loosening just a little. Ianto smiled and pressed a kiss to Jack's temple drawing a contented sigh from his love.

"You need to pack," he reminded the other boy.

"Later," Jack replied softly. "Wanna cuddle you now."

Ianto chuckled. "How about I make you a deal," he suggested. "I'll help you pack and we'll get that out of the way, then we can both have a quick shower and snuggle up in bed and you can cuddle me all night. What do you think?" he asked.

Jack sighed as if put upon and mumbled, "All right," before pulling away from Ianto and heading into his closet to retrieve a suitcase. They packed the things Jack thought he'd need while he was away, as well as the things Ianto thought Jack would need, including warm things as it was now winter in Australia, and as much as Canada and the UK got far colder than it did in the Southern Hemisphere it was still cold and Ianto didn't want Jack getting sick. Jack had smiled and teased Ianto about mothering him, but Ianto could tell the older boy was pleased Ianto cared so much for him.

When they were done Ianto slipped in for a quick shower before heading into his room to ensure he had everything he was going to need for his time away as well while Jack was taking his. He considered checking his email, but thought better of it not wanting to read whatever Justin thought about Ianto not coming home these holidays. He knew it would be the stuff of nightmares and he'd deal with when he came back, he didn't want that horror colouring his last night with Jack before he had to be separated from the boy for two days.

He returned to Jack's room when his boyfriend told him he was done in the shower and smiled at the sight of his love towelling his crazy/sexy hair dry. When Jack pulled the towel away from his head Ianto took it from the Canadian and gently wiped at a few stray drops Jack had missed on his back. Jack smiled at him lovingly as he took the towel back and headed in to the bathroom to hang it up again.

Ianto slipped into bed and got comfortable lifting the edge of the covers in invitation when the other boy returned to the room. Jack's smile widened and he flicked the light off before crawling into bed and immediately pulling Ianto into a cuddle, kissing him softly.

"I know it's only two days but I _am_ going to miss you," he whispered when they parted. "I don't care what else is going on around me or who else I'm with; I'm still going to wish you were there too."

Ianto smiled and kissed Jack back. "I'll miss you too," he replied honestly, "you know I will."

"Then why-"

Ianto cut off the rest of Jack's sentence with another kiss, this one a little more heated than the last. He didn't want to go through this again; he just wanted to enjoy his first night of holidays with his boyfriend. Seeming to get the hint Jack kissed him back with the same heat, slipping a hand up to grip Ianto's hair softly and pull him closer. Ianto slid his own up and around Jack's neck his fingers stroking softly over the smooth skin of the other boy's throat. There was just enough heat in the kiss to make Ianto's heart pound excitedly in his chest and he could feel it had the same effect on Jack, although truthfully he still found that fact more than a little amazing. Jack had been with so many people before Ianto, sex was nothing foreign or new to him, and yet he found just kissing Ianto like he was as exciting as Ianto did and that made the Welsh boy smile.

After a few minutes one of Jack's hands slid down to pinch the fabric of Ianto's pyjama top and he pulled back just enough to look at Ianto with questioning eyes. "Can we lose this?" he asked softly.

Since the night Ianto had shown Jack his scars Ianto had been spending more of their alone time with his shirt off in an attempt to get more comfortable around Jack like that. Usually this also resulted in Jack having his shirt off too which Ianto had to admit he enjoyed quite thoroughly. Jack hadn't rushed Ianto with it at all, he always asked Ianto if he was all right with the idea and let him remove it himself, never asking to be the one to do it. This would be the first time Ianto was doing so when they were in the middle of a make out session and the idea made him a little nervous, but he pushed the feeling aside knowing Jack wouldn't hurt him.

He made quick work of the buttons and sat up to slide the shirt off his shoulders, smiling when Jack did the same with his own, before lying back down and pulling Jack into another kiss. Jack slipped one arm around Ianto pulling him closer so their chests were touching, and slid the other back into Ianto's hair stroking gently. Ianto resumed his stroking of Jack's neck with one hand while the other moved down to stroke the soft skin of the Canadian's side. Jack gasped quietly and deepened the kiss mirroring Ianto's actions with his fingers on Ianto's lower back.

Ianto groaned softly amazed at how that simple touch could be so incredible to him. He felt his body reacting to the sensations and unlike every time before where he would have pulled away before things heated up too much he stayed where he was, pulling himself closer to Jack and allowing his beautiful boyfriend to put an end to their little make out session when he wanted to. It was an act of surrender for Ianto, a little piece of control he could hand over to Jack in this situation because he knew the Canadian would never push him too far. He'd never done it before, not consciously anyway, but he'd come to trust Jack so much over the last several months and he wanted to do it; if only to prove to himself that his trust wasn't misplaced.

When at last Jack did bring an end to their moment of intimacy it was with a brush of his lips against Ianto's neck which caused Ianto to gasp and tighten his fingers that were still resting in his love's hair. Jack lifted his head and pulled Ianto close pressing a gentle kiss to Ianto's forehead before laying his head down next to Ianto's and gazing adoringly into his eyes.

"I'll survive those two awful days just so I can see you again and hold you like this. I love you so much, Ianto Jones," he whispered.

Ianto pushed back the tears that threatened to make an appearance at Jack's lovely words and leant forward to kiss the other boy again. "I love you too," he whispered back as they parted again and Jack smiled softly at him before reaching down to grasp Ianto's bracelet adorned wrist. He brought it to his lips and kissed the skin before kissing the bracelet itself and then Ianto's palm.

"Have I mentioned how much I love seeing you wear this?" the Canadian asked softly.

"You have," Ianto replied studying the beautiful piece of jewellery that had come to mean so much to him. "And I love wearing it just as much. Every time I look at it I'm reminded of you and our night out together. It was so amazing, not just because of the things we did, and believe me they were incredible, but because it was you I was doing them with. I love you so much it should be illegal," he finished with a soft smile for his boyfriend.

Jack smiled back and kissed the bracelet again before snuggling down next to Ianto and kissing his temple. "Two days…I can survive two days," he said decisively and Ianto chuckled snuggling into the beautiful boy.

"Of course you can," Ianto assured the Canadian and closed his eyes feeling the craziness of the last few weeks catch up with him and pull him quickly into sleep.

"I love you more by the way," Jack whispered in his ear as he was drifting off and Ianto fell asleep with a grin on his face.

XX

Ianto looked around the room of the hotel he was staying in and smiled. It was rather nice and it had a beautiful view of the beach from the balcony in his room.

"You all set?" Morghan's voice asked from behind him and he turned to face the girl with a smile.

"Yes, thank you for dropping me off," he replied dropping his bag and moving over to hug the brunette.

"No problem," Morghan replied with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes and Ianto felt sad for the poor Aussie girl. Ray had been forced to go home to her parents these holidays meaning Morghan wouldn't see or hear anything from her until school resumed in a fortnight. It would have been a sad thought for her in general, but when they'd lost a friend so recently he knew it was near devastating for them to be apart. He knew Morghan was sad to be without the other girl, seeing as she was going to be staying with her father these holidays and he hadn't allowed her to bring Elena with her to cheer her up. She was more worried about Ray however, whose family made her unsupportive, emotionally distant father seem like a warm cuddly teddy bear.

"Are you okay?" he asked softly.

Morghan sighed and cuddled into him again. "No, I'm miserable, but there's nothing I can do about it is there," she replied sadly. Ianto had been a little surprised by her hugging him again out of the blue, but he quickly recovered and held her back rubbing a hand up and down her back soothingly.

"I'm sorry, I know it must be hard," he responded sadly. "At least you'll have your phone to text and call Elena and the rest of us while you're away and you're going to be here with us until Monday, plus you're coming to Jack's place for that party he's throwing for his friends next weekend right?" he asked trying to cheer her up.

"Yeah, I suppose," she agreed glumly before pulling back and giving Ianto a sad smile. "Sorry, I shouldn't be putting a dampener on the start of your holidays like that, I'm sure being away from Jack is making it hard enough," she apologised softly.

"Hey, if I recall correctly last holidays it was me being a killjoy while you were trying to enjoy your time off with your family and I didn't hear you complaining when you had to comfort me. Call it turnabout if you like and I'm happy to return the favour," Ianto replied with a smile for his friend.

Morghan gave him a true smile in return and leant up to kiss his cheek softly. "You're a lovely person, Ianto," she told him when she pulled away.

"So are you," Ianto replied sincerely and they shared a smile before Morghan bid him good afternoon and headed out of the room to let him settle in.

"I'll see you tomorrow," she called as she left and he gave her a wave as she closed the door behind her.

Once she was gone he headed into the bedroom he'd be calling his own for the next couple of days and unpacked just a little, seeing as he wouldn't be there long. He pulled out his phone and grinned when he saw a text message from Jack.

"_We're here! The house is awesome and everyone says hi, they can't wait to meet you. I miss you tons already and I hope the next two days go quickly. _

_I love you; I can't wait til Monday,_

_Your loving Canadian,_

_XXXOOO_"

Ianto chuckled and texted the other boy back.

"_I miss you too, Jack, there's a big bed in my room that's going to be very lonely to sleep in alone. Have fun with your friends until Monday, it'll be here before you know it and we'll be together again._

_I love you more my sexy Canadian, I'm hugging you in my mind as I type,_

_Your adoring Welshman_

_XXXXOOOO_

He sent the message and grinned as he thought about Jack smiling when he received it. He hoped Jack was having a good time with his friends, but secretly he was glad his boyfriend missed him so much. He knew the other boy had said he was going to miss him, but Ianto hadn't been sure that would last when Jack saw his best friend and the people he used to spend so much of his time with, and had probably slept with more than once, again. He hadn't said it to anyone else, he'd barely wanted to admit it to himself, but part of him wanting Jack to spend time with his old friends without Ianto had been to see if spending time with them again reminded Jack of what he was missing and made him change his mind about his relationship with Ianto.

It hurt Ianto to think it might and he'd been pushing the feeling down and trying to pretend he wasn't worried for the last several weeks so it wouldn't upset him when he needed to study. He'd been doing well with it up until this point, even managing to forget he felt like that for a while, but now the time was here, there was no one he needed to hide his feelings from and he had to admit it to himself.

He was scared; he didn't want to be but he was and there was nothing he could do except wait and see what happened. He knew he could have gone with Jack and forestalled this moment, but he hadn't, because he wanted to test Jack like this. Not because he wanted to be cruel or distrusting of his love, but because he wanted their relationship to progress, physically, in the near future and he needed this assurance before it did.

Tonight the group who were staying in the motel had all decided to do their own thing so Ianto had the night to himself. Unfortunately this meant he wouldn't have anything to distract him from his worries, but at the same time it gave him time alone which he hadn't had in a long time due to Jack's constant presence. That wasn't a bad thing of course; he enjoyed having Jack with him as much as possible and encouraged it, not wanting to spend a moment without his boyfriend that he didn't have to. Still, now that he had this time he wanted to use it wisely, he just wasn't sure how.

Moving around the room he checked out the rest of his accommodations, pausing in the bathroom when his eyes fell on the large bathtub/spa nestled in the corner. A grin spread across his face as an idea popped into his head and he headed back out to his suitcase to grab his toiletry bag before returning to the bathroom and closing the door behind him, just in case anyone else found their way into his room for some reason. He gave the tub a quick rinse out before sticking the plug in and twisting on the taps, fiddling with them until the water was the temperature he wanted. He opened his toiletry bag then and paused when he realised something wasn't right. It took him a moment to work out what it was, but when he did he couldn't help but smile.

He and Jack both used the same brand of shower gel just in different scents, when they'd packed the two of them must have grabbed the wrong bottle and not noticed, which wasn't hard considering both bottles were black on the outside and only their labels were different. It wasn't like it was a big deal it was just funny, and actually, as Ianto turned the bottle upside down and tipped a bit under the running tap to make the water bubbly, he realised it was actually nice having Jack's scent filling the room around him like it was. He thought about texting Jack to tell him but decided to let the Canadian find out on his own, hopefully it would be as nice a surprise as it had been for Ianto.

When the water was an acceptable height Ianto stripped off his clothes and slipped into the just slightly too warm bath. He groaned as he felt the heat of the water lapping at his skin and relaxing the muscles that had been tense from all the studying and exams and, even though Ianto hadn't been admitting it to himself, the worry about Jack and his reaction to seeing his friends again. He pushed all the thoughts out of his mind for a while and focused on nothing but the soothing heat of the water and the calming scent of Jack surrounding him on all sides. When at last he felt as relaxed as he thought he could possibly be he allowed his mind to wander once more.

He thought about Justin and his life up until he came to Australia. He thought about his friends and family back home, wondering what they were doing at the moment. He thought about his friends in the exchange with him and all they'd been through so far together. Then and only then, with all those thoughts out of the way, did he allow his mind to think about Jack; Jack, his gorgeous, sexy, flawless Canadian god. He thought about all the ups and downs they'd experienced so far in their relationship and all they had yet to experience. He thought about how the other boy was with his friends right now and what he might be thinking about.

Once more the fear and doubt crept up on him and he did his best to push it away, lifting his arm with the bracelet out of the water and staring at the beautiful adornment, trying to focus on what it said and all it meant rather than the fear. As his internal battle was raging on, his phone beeped loudly beside him and he dried his hand on a nearby towel before reaching down to pick up the small device and see who was looking for him, grateful for the distraction.

When Jack's name flashed up on the screen he felt a flare of happiness and a jolt of fear all at once. Happiness that Jack was thinking of him but fear that he may be texting Ianto to tell him it was over between them. For a moment he contemplated not reading the message in case it did say what he didn't want to read. He quickly pushed the thought aside with a huff of annoyance at himself however, knowing Jack wouldn't break up with him through a text message, and unlocked the phone to read what it said.

"_Hello my eternally lovely Welshman; how is your evening going? I was just unpacking my bag and it had me wondering whether you'd unpacked yours yet? If you haven't, or just haven't noticed, I thought I'd let you know I switched our body wash this morning before we left to come away. I know it sounds a little pathetic and it's only two days we're going to be apart, but I didn't want to go that long without your gorgeous scent and I didn't want you to be without mine either. I hope you don't mind, I just miss you so much and I wanted to have something of yours with me._

_I love you, Ianto, I love you so much and I miss you so badly. I would give anything to see your perfect face right now, or hear your beautiful voice, but I know you wanted me to spend some time with my friends and I'm sure you're enjoying a quiet night to yourself, it's been quite a while since you've had one of those with my constant presence always interrupting. So, I'm going to go back outside now where my friends are trying to work out the barbeque and I'm going to do my best to give you that quiet night. I may succeed, but I'm going to apologise in advance because I probably won't. I don't think I'll be able to go to sleep tonight without at least hearing your voice._

_I'll see you soon, my love, but nowhere near soon enough._

_All my love,_

_Jack _

_Xxxxxooooo"_

Ianto smiled down at the phone even as a tear slipped from his eyes and dropped into the water with a quiet splash. He was such an idiot, how could he think, even for a minute, that Jack would change his mind about them just because he saw some old friends again. He'd seen those people only a few hours before meeting Ianto and if what the Canadian had told him was true he'd like Ianto immediately regardless. Jack had told him he loved him several times, had promised him he'd never lose him, Ianto had to stop being so damn paranoid and just accept that these things were true.

He was about to text Jack back but stopped, deciding instead to see if Jack had made it back outside to join his friends yet.

He called Jack's number and smiled when the Canadian answered almost immediately. "Hello, sweetheart," he greeted and Ianto could hear the smile in his voice.

"Hello, Cariad," Ianto greeted in return leaning against the side of the bathtub with a smile of his own.

"I miss you," Jack said softly.

"I miss you too," Ianto replied just as softly.

For a while the line was silent; then Jack spoke again. "I'm sorry if I'm messaging too much, I'm sure you're enjoying the alone time after not having it for so long."

"Alone time is overrated," Ianto replied and Jack chuckled in reply. "Who needs quiet nights anyway?"

Jack sighed. "I really want to see you," he said wistfully.

Ianto closed his eyes at the emotion in his love's voice and dropped his chin down to rest on his hand. "I know, I really want to see you too," he admitted.

"Then let me come and see you, please, we hired a car and it wouldn't take me long to get there," Jack pleaded.

Ianto was so close to caving in and telling the other boy yes. Now that he was talking to Jack he really wanted him here to hold him and kiss him, but he took a deep breath and steeled himself to say, "Jack, John has come all the way here to see you, so have the others, they deserve some time alone with you and you know they do."

Jack sighed again and replied, "I know. Of course they do, you're right, I just … I didn't expect it to be this hard to be away from you. Somehow it feels even harder than it was last time, and I know it's not, because I know I'm going to see you again soon, I just …" he trailed off with another sigh and Ianto gripped the phone so tightly he thought it would break. This was too much, too hard, why did it hurt so badly to be parted for only a few days?

"Jack, I know it's hard. Believe me, I know how you feel, it's taking every inch of strength I have not to just give in to what I want and beg you to come to me. I don't want to have to be the voice of reason, I feel so empty without you near me, but we both know one of us has to be strong here and this time it's got to be me, I'm sure it's my turn by now," Ianto said as forcefully as he could with his voice shaking as it had started to.

"Ianto-"

"You know I'm right, Jack," Ianto said cutting off his love. "We'll see each other on Monday and we're going to be fine until then. We are, okay."

"Okay," Jack agreed softly and Ianto could tell he was doing his best to put some strength into his voice, probably because he could hear how upset Ianto was and wanted to make it easier for him. "Can I … can I call you again before I go to sleep?" he asked softly.

Ianto was relieved that the argument was over, but at the same time he was sad that their conversation would soon be coming to an end, he missed Jack so much. He took a deep breath and calmed himself before he replied, "Please."

"All right, I'll talk to you again soon. I love you so much." The last part was a pained whisper and once more Ianto had to fight the urge to tell Jack he'd changed his mind and wanted the Canadian with him.

"I love you too, talk to you soon," he forced himself to say and quickly cut off the call before he could say anything he shouldn't. He dropped the phone onto the floor just as quickly and drew his hands back into the bathtub to prevent him from calling Jack back like he wanted to. He sunk down into the water and groaned at himself. He was an adult for goodness sake; he had to learn to deal with this!

He grabbed the washer the motel had provided and started washing his body, pushing thoughts of Jack from his mind, or at least trying to. When he was finished with his body and had washed his hair he thought about staying in the bathtub for a while and attempting to relax again, but decided against it knowing he wouldn't be able to this time. He climbed out, let the water out of the bathtub, dried himself and brushed his teeth before making his way into the bedroom and dropping down onto the bed with just his towel around his waist.

He lay there for a moment thinking about what he could do before deciding he should get dressed and moving over to his suitcase. When he got there he paused. Did he really need to get dressed? It wasn't like anyone else was around to see him, why not wander around the motel room in the nude? He'd never done it before, partly because there was always somebody around and the last thing he'd wanted to do was give Justin a reason to pay more attention to him than he already did, and partly because he'd never liked his body being on display, even when he was alone.

Still, with his plan to become more intimately involved with Jack in the future perhaps it wouldn't be a bad idea. He needed to get more comfortable showing off his body, why not start by doing it when he was alone? With that thought he made his way back to the bathroom and hung the towel up before moving back to the bedroom and lying down on the bed. For a while he just lay there, staring up at the ceiling and thinking about how ridiculous and self-conscious he felt. When at last he'd managed to quiet his mind and get rid of his self-consciousness a little he got up and headed out to the kitchen to sort out something to eat for dinner.

He triple checked that the door was locked and chained before ensuring the curtains were closed on all the windows and moving into the little kitchenette. He grabbed the microwave dinner he'd bought for tonight, not wanting to bother with cooking when it was just him, and placed it in the microwave to heat. As soon as it was done he moved over to the couch and sat down to eat flicking on the television and telling himself over and over that no one was around to see him and it was okay.

He managed to get a little more comfortable as the night went on, but still felt somewhat self-conscious when he headed back into his room to go to bed. He decided to sleep naked that night as well and crawled between the sheets smiling when he noticed the smell of Jack's body wash lingering on the linen from where he'd dropped down on to it right after the bath. He snuggled down into the pillows and tried to imagine that Jack was here with him; that perhaps he was just in the bathroom having a shower and would be out soon.

The Canadian would finish in the shower, dry himself off and crawl into bed beside Ianto. He'd wrap those wonderfully strong arms around Ianto and kiss him, softly and lovingly, the way only he could and it would set Ianto's heart racing with the emotion of it. Ianto would pull him closer sliding his fingers up into jack's hair and urging him to deepen the kiss, which Jack would in that perfect way he did everything.

They'd kiss passionately and desperately until they needed to part for air and then Jack's mouth would move lower, kissing Ianto's jaw, then down his neck, lingering on the place Jack knew Ianto liked so much. Ianto would moan and pull Jack's naked body closer, tightening his fingers in Jack's hair which he knew the Canadian loved. Jack's hand would glide down his body; caressing Ianto's skin so sweetly and making him writhe in pleasure under his love's hand. He'd reach Ianto's ass and-

Ianto's eyes shot open as his mind at last seemed to process what he'd been thinking about; or in this case the correct term might be fantasizing about. He'd never thought about that kind of thing, not while he'd been awake anyway and he quickly realised it wasn't only his brain that had been affected by the images it had produced when he turned in the bed and the sheets brushed against a now very swollen and sensitive part of his anatomy. Part of him wanted to die of embarrassment even though no one else had been around to see it, while another part of him cheered as he realized this could very well be another positive step in his healing.

He looked down at the offending piece of anatomy which was begging him to touch it and pondered over what he should do with it. He'd never done anything with it in the past, he'd honestly never had the urge with all the pain Justin had made him feel in that area, so he really was quite clueless when it came to physical pleasure and how to bring it about. Because of this actually touching himself and trying to get off might not be a bad idea, after all it was good to know your own body before someone else got to know it so you could guide them to what you did and didn't like, and it would surely help him when it came to pleasuring Jack as well. Still, at the same time, and as silly as it probably sounded, he really wanted Jack to be the first one to touch him like that; he wanted their first time together to be special and meaningful. He couldn't give Jack his virginity, not truly, but he could give him this and he wanted to.

He sighed and burrowed down into the bed once more willing his body to calm down. It might make things easier in the future if he did something with it, but he wasn't going to, he was going to keep that honour for Jack no matter how difficult it was to do so. He was trying to think of something to help calm his mind when he phone rang beside him and he smiled when he saw Jack's number flashing on the screen.

"Hello, Jack," he greeted the Canadian with a smile.

"Hi, Ianto," Jack greeted in return. "You sound happy," he noted with a hint of curiosity in his voice.

Ianto's smile widened. "I saw your name come up on the screen when the phone rang, of course I'm happy," Ianto replied. "And I was thinking about you before you rang which definitely helps with the whole happiness thing."

"Really? What were you thinking about?" Jack asked.

Ianto wondered if he should tell Jack the truth but decided against it, he was trying to calm him body not make it hornier. Still, he could tell Jack a version of the truth. "I was thinking about how gorgeous you are, about how much I love you and about something I want to give to you," he replied.

"Oh and what's that?" the Canadian asked

"I can't tell you, it will ruin the surprise," Ianto replied and Jack chuckled quietly.

"All right, any idea when I might get my surprise?" he asked.

"I haven't decided exactly when yet, but I'd like it to be soon," Ianto replied with a soft smile thinking about Jack would react if he knew what the surprise was.

"Okay, I'll wait to be surprised then," Jack acquiesced and Ianto could hear the smile in his voice.

"You sound happier too," Ianto noted.

"I am a bit," Jack replied. "I'm talking to you which of course puts me in a great mood and actually, I was thinking about you before I rang too, I just wasn't doing my thinking alone," he added.

"Okay, now I'm curious," Ianto replied wondering what Jack meant.

Jack chuckled again. "John was in here with me and we were talking about you," he explained.

"Ah, okay, that makes more sense," Ianto said with a smile. "Good things I hope."

"There aren't any bad things, sweetheart," Jack assured him and Ianto smiled at the affection in his voice.

"So you're in bed now?" Ianto asked.

"Yeah, just turned the lights off. What about you?" Jack asked.

"I'm in bed too," Ianto replied. "Actually I'm enjoying the experience a little more than I normally would since it smells like you. I used your shower gel in the bath I ran earlier," he explained.

"Oh, you had a bath, really? I haven't had a bath in ages," Jack replied wistfully. "Was it good?" he asked.

"Pretty good, I was talking to you for part of it," Ianto replied.

Jack was silent for a minute before asking, "You mean you were in the bath while we were talking on the phone earlier?"

"I was indeed," Ianto replied with a grin.

"I wish you hadn't told me that," Jack groaned.

"And why is that?" Ianto asked feigning innocence.

"Because now I'm picturing you talking to me, naked, in a bathtub," Jack replied.

"And that's a bad thing?" Ianto asked.

"No, it's just … um … let's change the subject," Jack suggested and Ianto chuckled quietly understanding exactly why Jack didn't want to dwell on that image.

"How are John and your other friends?" Ianto asked.

"They're good, dying to meet you, especially John. I can't wait until you get here on Monday, it's going to be awesome getting to show you off at last," Jack said happily.

Ianto smiled at his boyfriend's enthusiasm and pushed aside his own doubts as he replied, "I'm glad you're excited, Jack."

Jack hummed in agreement. "You know, you're so beautiful," he informed Ianto softly.

"So are you," Ianto replied warmed by Jack's words as he always was.

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

The line was silent for a while and Ianto closed his eyes enjoying the feeling of closeness he was experiencing even without Jack beside him.

"Ianto," Jack mumbled after a while.

"Mmm," Ianto replied feeling himself drifting off.

"I'm falling asleep," Jack mumbled.

"Mmm," Ianto agreed again barely aware of the words his love was saying.

"Cool … night," Jack replied and Ianto felt himself grin as he fell asleep.

XX

End of chapter

So what did we think? You know I'm dying for your opinion so feel free to write something in the pretty box below and let me know what you think, PRETTY PLEASE! I hope you're enjoying Ianto's character evolution, I'm enjoying writing it. And I made Jack a little childish in this chapter because everyone can be that way sometimes. See you all soon.

Kayla

**Review Replies**

**Torchwood Cardiff:** Thanks, I enjoyed writing them :)

**Twilightluva786:** Thanks, I hope you enjoy the update.

**Badly-knitted: **Thank you so much! Yes Justin is a bad man and he needs to be dealt with! Silly Ianto though doesn't want to worry anyone else, whatever shall we do with him? I hope you enjoy the update.

**Guest: **Thanks, glad you enjoyed it.

**Black59:** Thanks, I'm glad you've caught up and are happy with the chapter. Yes, Owen is very rational in my story, glad you're enjoying it.

**DashingHero**: Awww thanks, I loved writing 'Proper' angry Ianto.

**Ciocia:** Thanks for the review love. Down with Declan LOL!

**Angel-eyes56**: I'm sorry for causing tears, but I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter. I loved that last bit too, imagining it in my mind always makes me smile.

**Katwinchester**: Thank you honey, I enjoy writing Owen like that too. I'm glad you're happy with the relationship evolution, I am too, and I hope you like the continued evolution in this chapter

**Bannanas -are-good**: Thank you so much, I hope you enjoy the update.

**TMAC**: I never did hear from you about the story love, are you enjoying it?

**Appleblom**: I'm glad my story was interesting enough to keep you reading so long! Thanks for the review and I hope you enjoy the update :)

**Sd4ianto**: Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed it. Yes Ianto has issues with sex because of Justin's abuse and no, Declan had nothing to do with Abby's death, he was just trying to work out how long Morghan would be gone so he could hone in on Ianto. I hope you continue to enjoy the story, thanks for the reviews.


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